Habitat for Humanity Affiliates in Tennessee

There are 52 Habitat for Humanity affiliates that serve 62 counties in Tennessee.
Founded in 1977, Appalachia Habitat for Humanity was the 2nd affiliate in the world and the 1st affiliate in Tennessee.
Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Tennessee build twice the national state average of Habitat for Humanity houses.
In early 2010, Habitat affiliates will celebrate their 3000th house build in Tennessee.
Habitat affiliates in Tennessee work in partnership with families to build over 200 houses annually.
Habitat affiliates in Tennessee have tithed $3.4 million that have build 1,318 international partner families who have realized their dream of affordable home ownership because of our affiliates.
In 2008, the average Habitat house cost in Tennessee was $63,000 while the average appraisal was 40% higher.
Habitat affiliates in Tennessee have a 2.9% foreclosure rate.
Habitat provides stability, 91% of Habitat for Humanity houses built in Tennessee in the last ten years are still occupied by the original homeowner.
There are 27 Habitat Restores in Tennessee engaging the community to donate and recycle to free up our landfills and to raise money to build more houses.

Habitat for Humanity International Figures

Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has worked in partnership with families to build more than 500,000 houses around the world, providing more than 2 million people in more than 4,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.

In 1984, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn took their first Habitat work trip, the Jimmy Carter Work Project, to New York City. Their personal involvement in Habitat's ministry brought the organization national visibility and sparked interest in Habitat's work across the nation. HFHI experienced a dramatic increase in the number of new affiliates around the country.

In its first 24 years, Habitat for Humanity built 100,000 houses with people in need of decent, affordable shelter. In only nine years since then, another 250,000 houses were built. Today, more than 1.75 million people are now living in Habitat homes. Still, the needs are great.

Habitat for Humanity and its partners are committed to a world where every man, woman and child has a safe and healthy place to live. Millions upon millions of people still live without adequate shelter. The numbers tell us we need to do more—much more.

Worldwide, approximately 100 million people are homeless. More than 1 billion people live in shelters built out of flimsy materials, with irregular or no electricity and without adequate sanitation or security.

In the U.S., more than 33 million people live in poverty. This number reflects a family of four living on $17,850 per year or less. Some 95 million Americans face housing problems, approximately one-third of the total U.S. population. Of that 95 million, one-third spends more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Some 5.1 million American families have "worst-case" housing needs, forced to pay more than half their income for housing, endure overcrowded conditions and/or live in houses with severe physical deficiencies. While the number of families in poverty is growing, the number of affordable rental units is shrinking.

*All figures are available on Habitat International's website, www.habitat.org.

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry seeking to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world.
Habitat for Humanity is a worldwide, grassroots movement with a presence in nearly 90 countries.
In the United States, Habitat for Humanity’s work is accomplished at the community level by more than 1,500 affiliates – independent, locally run, nonprofit organizations.
All U.S. Habitat affiliates are asked to “tithe” – give 10 percents of their contributions to fund house building work in other nations.
Habitat for Humanity strives to make shelter a matter of conscience and action for all people.

Families in need of decent shelter apply to local Habitat affiliates. The affiliate’s selection committee chooses homeowners based on their level of need, their willingness to partner with Habitat and their ability to repay the loan.
Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable loans. Mortgage length varies from seven to 30 years.
Homeowners are required to invest hundreds of hours of their own labor – sweat equity – into building their own and other Habitat houses.
Habitat for Humanity invites people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses in partnership with families in need.