Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in Georgia. The Christian housing organization is a leading global non-profit working in nearly 1,400 US communities and in 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve their homes. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage.