Founded by the late Millard Fuller and his wife Linda in 1976, Habitat for Humanity started off as a grassroots efforts on a community farm in Georgia, United States. The concept of "partnership housing" centered on those in need of adequate shelter working side by side with volunteers to build decent, affordable houses.

In 1973, the Fullers decided to take the concept to Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. After three years of hard work to launch a successful house building program there, the Fullers then returned to the United States and called together a group of supporters to discuss the future of their dream: Habitat for Humanity International.

Since then, Habitat has grown into an international housing organisation with affiliates in over 70 countries around the world. Habitat believes in builds with and for people of all backgrounds, races and religion, and has provided safe, decent shelter for more than 9.8 million people in over 3,000 communities in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Europe and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.