who we are
Our vision, what we do, our core values
and our history are what makes us unique.
our vision
every one deserves a safe and decent place to live.
what we do
By mobilizing volunteers and community partners, Habitat for Humanity Manitoba works with people from all walks of life to build safe, decent, affordable housing for purchase by low-income working families.
Habitat Manitoba
Founded in 1987, Habitat Manitoba is a nonprofit housing organization that believes everyone deserves a safe and decent place to live. We mobilize communities to help low-income working families build strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable homeownership. With the help of volunteers, donors, and community partners, we have helped over 500 families and more than 1,400 children in the Province, including Kenora, Ontario.
Habitat ReStore
In support of our homebuilding, we operate retail home improvement stores called Habitat ReStore. Our three locations across Manitoba sell new and used donated home furnishings, appliances, and renovation materials to the public at a fraction of the original price. Habitat ReStore collects donations from the community, and proceeds from sales help cover the cost to build Habitat homes.
our history
The idea that became Habitat for Humanity first started at Koinonia Farm, a community farm outside of Americus, Georgia, founded by farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan.
On the farm, Jordan and Habitat’s eventual founders, Millard and Linda Fuller, developed the concept of “partnership housing.” It would involve those in need of adequate shelter working side-by-side with volunteers to build decent, affordable houses at no profit. The new homeowners’ house payments would be combined with no-interest loans provided by supporters to create a revolving fund, which would then be used to build more homes.
Beau and Emma were the owners of the first home built by Koinonia’s Partnership Housing Program. They and their five children moved into a concrete-block home with a modern kitchen, indoor bathroom and heating system, replacing the uninsulated shack with no plumbing where they previously lived.
In 1973, the Fullers decided to bring 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. Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity International has since grown to become a global nonprofit working in more than 70 countries, including Canada.
The Habitat movement first spread to Canada in 1985, when the country’s first Habitat home was built in Winkler, Manitoba. Just two years later, Winnipeg became the first local Habitat in Canada. Today, Habitat for Humanity Canada is a leading national nonprofit, with local Habitats working in every province and territory across the country. With the help of these local Habitats, volunteers, and Habitat homeowners, we provide a solid foundation for thousands of families to lead better, healthier lives in Canada and around the world.
Today, the vision has become a reality.
Click here to learn about Habitat for Humanity Manitoba’s chronological history.
Click here to learn about Habitat for Humanity Canada.
Click here to learn about Habitat for Humanity International.
The first Habitat ReStore began in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1991 and the concept has since grown to include hundreds of locations across Canada and the U.S.
our core values
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| Success through collaboration: Working with all of our partners to improve the quality of life through access to affordable housing. |
 | Integrity: Inspiring hope through openness, respect, trust, fairness, patience and honesty. |
 | Honour: We embrace our heritage while building our future. |
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| Excellence: We pursue high standards in every aspect of our building program, our business operations and our relationships. |
how it all works at Habitat
Through our unique affordable homeownership program, we offer families a hand up, empowering them to build strength, stability, and self-reliance.
- Families purchase an affordable home from Habitat for Humanity Manitoba with no down payment required.
- Since families wouldn’t qualify for a conventional mortgage, we provide a Habitat for Humanity Manitoba mortgage that removes the barriers to homeownership.
- We offer a fixed, 15-year renewable mortgage with zero interest so that families can maximize the equity they build while raising their children.
- Mortgage payments are calculated annually, so that families pay 27% of household income on shelter costs.
- As part of their partnership with Habitat for Humanity Manitoba, families contribute “sweat equity” of 500 volunteer hours helping build their home, other Habitat homes, or helping in our ReStores.
- Every family attends financial education workshops to prepare themselves for first-time homeownership.
- As soon as a family starts to pay off their mortgage, Habitat for Humanity Manitoba puts those dollars to work helping build the next home for the next family. As families pay off their mortgages, donor dollars are reinvested and used by Habitat for Humanity Manitoba to build more homes for working, lower income families in our community.
- We keep our build costs low through volunteer labour and, as much as possible, donated or reduced-cost building materials and services.
frequently asked questions
Q. What is Habitat for Humanity?
A. Habitat for Humanity Manitoba is the local affiliate of an international non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating poverty housing by building safe, decent, affordable homes for purchase by low-income working families.
Q. Where did Habitat begin?
A. Millard and Linda Fuller started Habitat for Humanity in the community of Americus, Georgia in the southern part of U.S.A. in 1976.
Q. How long has Habitat been in Manitoba?
A. Habitat for Humanity Canada was founded in 1985 with its first Habitat home built in Winkler, Manitoba. In 1987 the first Habitat Canadian affiliate was started in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Habitat Canada was the first national Habitat organization outside the United States. In 1991, the first ever ReStore was launched in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Q. Who qualifies for a home?
A. Habitat partners with low-income working families – families ready for the responsibility and challenges of homeownership, but would not qualify for a traditional mortgage. These are people like you and me with only personal circumstances causing them to seek out Habitat.
Q. How are the partner families chosen?
A. The selection of families is based on three principles; need, ability to pay, and willingness to partner and must meet the criteria set forth here.
Q. Are Habitat houses given to the families?
A. NO! Habitat houses are not given away. They are made affordable and sold at market value, with no down payment, no interest mortgages to selected families. Monthly mortgage payments are set at 27% of the family income.
Q. How are homes built?
A. Numerous dedicated volunteers under the guidance of professional construction supervision, work together using top grade, new building materials and energy efficient building techniques to create homes that raise the value of the neighbourhoods where they are built. All Habitat homes are energy efficient and become truly affordable as they meet Power Smart Gold Standards and are built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification.
Q. How does Habitat Manitoba generate revenue to build homes?
A. Your generous support directly impacts the number of families we serve and the homes we can build each year in Manitoba. Habitat Manitoba relies on four sources of revenue to continue building homes for low-income families in the homeownership program: fundraising through events, programs and campaigns, partnerships with various organizations, government support, revenue from the three ReStore locations, and mortgage payments from existing homeowners.
Q. What is The ReStore?
A. The Habitat for Humanity Manitoba ReStore was the first of its kind, anywhere. There are now 80 ReStores in Canada and over 800 across the United States. The ReStore receives new and used building materials generously donated by manufacturers, retailers, contractors and homeowners and resells them to the general public at greatly reduced prices.
Q. How many Habitats operate in Canada?
A. There are 46 Habitat Affiliates in Canada. In Manitoba we have built over 500 homes.
Q. How can people become involved with Habitat?
A. Share your time as a volunteer on a building site, at the ReStore, or as a member of various organizational committees. Provide financial resources by making a cash or gift-in-kind donation. Encourage the corporation, company, church, service club or other organization you are involved with to become a supporter of Habitat for Humanity Manitoba.