Building a foundation for healthier families and communities
Caught in punishing cycles of unpredictable rent increases, overcrowded conditions, or lack of access to affordable financing, many families live with a constant burden of uncertainty, stress and fear in Canada and around the world. That’s why we partner with working, low-income families to help them build strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership.
Habitat homeownership provides families with more than just equity – it instills them with a renewed sense of pride and responsibility. The impact is immediate and the effects are lasting.
Research has shown that Habitat homeowners are happier, healthier and more financially stable, which can allow them to return to school, learn a new trade or upgrade their job skills. Meanwhile, their children are more confident and do better in school.
But the benefits of a Habitat home reach far beyond the four walls these families help build. Through reduced reliance on social housing and food banks, better education and employment outcomes, and improved health, every Habitat home built helps create $175,000 worth of benefits for the local community.
The facts and figures behind the strength, stability and self-reliance we built in 2023.
The Boston Consulting Group conducted a study to provide a quantitative assessment of Habitat for Humanity’s social return on investment (SROI). Their assessment of our model of affordable homeownership found that every Habitat home generates $175,000 worth of benefits to society. In Canada, our affordable homeownership program has created a social return on investment of over $590 million since we started in 1985.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation conducted a Canada-wide survey of Habitat families. After purchasing a home through us, these families reported improved health, happiness, and overall well-being.
