Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga

Vision
A world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live.

Mission
To use our knowledge, skills, community relationships, volunteers and other resources to create and promote safe and affordable home ownership options with the aim of alleviating the cycle of poverty within our community.

Values
Housing for All:
We believe that access to safe, decent and affordable housing is a basic human right that should be available to all.

Human Dignity:
We believe in the worth and dignity of every human being. We respect the people we serve and those that help us in this effort and recognize them as our greatest resource.

Partnership:
We believe we can best achieve our mission through meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships with others.

Faith in Action:
We believe that faith is lived through action. Building on our Christian foundation, we serve and work with people of all faiths and beliefs in a spirit of justice and compassion.

Diversity and Inclusiveness:
We believe there is a role for everyone committed to our vision, mission and values and we seek to enrich our organization through diversity.

Habitat for Humanity's Beginning Koinonia Farms (a Christian community in the USA founded by Clarence Jordan) used the concept of building affordable houses as the basis for running their housing ministry. Multi-millionaires Millard and Linda Fuller served as volunteers and embraced Jordon's concept of partnership housing, forming the basic model for Habitat:

• Those in need of adequate shelter would work side-by-side with volunteers from all walks of life to build simple, decent houses;
• These houses would be built with no profit added and no interest charged; and
• The building would be financed by a revolving Fund for Humanity with the Fund's money coming from the new homeowners' house payments, donations and no interest loans provided by Supporters. These monies would, in turn, build even more Habitat houses.

In 1973, the Fullers decided to apply the Fund for Humanity concept in developing countries choosing the former country of Zaire to launch their house building program. In 1976, they returned to North America and chose Americus, Georgia as the headquarters for Habitat for Humanity International. In recent years, Habitat has grown to over 1600 affiliates in the US and Canada and is at work in over 90 countries around the world. To date Habitat for Humanity has built over 500,000 houses worldwide making Habitat the largest homebuilder in the world.

About Habitat for Humanity
Habitat is a independent, non-profit, Christian housing program dedicated to the elimination of poverty housing by building homes in partnership with families in need. Families contribute hundreds of hours of sweat equity to the construction of their home and repay a long-term no-interest mortgage. Habitat for Humanity is not a giveaway program. We give families a "hand up, not a hand out.

Habitat is a partnership between volunteers, homeowners, churches, businesses and communities. In 1984 Habitat's most famous volunteer, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, along with his wife, Rosalyn, participated in their first Habitat build project. Their personal involvement in Habitat's ministry brought the organization national visibility and sparked interest in Habitat's work.

Habitat for Humanity in Canada
Habitat for Humanity Canada (HFHC) was born in 1985, with the formation of the first Canadian affiliate in Winkler Manitoba. In early 1988 an HFHC national office was established, which is currently located in Waterloo, Ontario. HFHC now has over 73 approved affiliate organizations from coast to coast. To date, HFHC has built 2000 homes in Canada. As of January 2009, HFHC Foundation, the fundraising branch of the organization, is located in Toronto, Ontario. For more information visit Habitat for Humanity Canada www.habitat.ca

Habitat for Humanity International
The International headquarters is the "hub" of all of the Habitat's activities and goings on. Do you want to build in Jamaica or another part of the world? For more information visit Habitat for Humanity International www.habitat.org