Habitat for Humanity began operating in Haiti in 1984 and has since served over 60,000 families through a variety of housing, settlement and livelihood programs.
Before the earthquake, Habitat’s work was focused on building more than 2,000 decent, affordable, permanent homes in rural communities where poverty levels were highest. The organization also managed multiple Habitat Resource Centers that trained more than 900 students and 100 businesses in safe and efficient construction techniques.
After the earthquake left 1.5 million people homeless, Habitat’s leadership knew that another approach was necessary to meet housing needs. The work in rural areas continued while Habitat established a base of operations in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. There, in partnership with beneficiaries, Habitat adopted an innovative strategy centered on holistic, community-led, sustainable urban development, and developed programs to address land rights and housing finance.