Women’s Build

Mission

The mission of HFHI’s Women Build® program is to enable U.S. and international affiliates to recruit, educate and nurture women to build—and advocate for—simple, decent and affordable houses in their communities.

Partnership

Women Build, underwritten by Lowe’s®, puts the tools into women’s hands to fight poverty housing. Women make up 50 percent of Habitat for Humanity’s volunteer force; yet often because of lack of training, they account for less than 15 percent of workers on the construction site. The Women Build program was established by Habitat to encourage the involvement of women in the construction of Habitat homes.

Benefits

Not only does a Women Build enable women to discover for themselves that they can build Habitat for Humanity homes, but each Women Build also benefits the community by:

1. Growing your affiliate through networking.
2. Providing fundraising opportunities.
3. Increasing volunteer base and new leadership.

Who participates?

Through Women Build events, women from all walks of life are working together to build Habitat for Humanity homes across the United States. Women Build crews typically build more than 200 Habitat for Humanity homes a year and positively impacting the future by making homeownership a present reality for families. More than 60 percent of Habitat for Humanity’s houses are built with women heads of household. These women are often dependent upon the goodwill of neighbors, friends and relatives for even minor repairs. By receiving training as part of the build, they are better equipped to maintain their homes and, consequently, are more confident in their ability to cope with day-to-day situations.

Why?

Women Build challenges women to actively address the problem of substandard housing and to be part of the solution. Women crews have already built more than 1,500 Habitat for Humanity houses within the United States, and in dozens of other countries. Women Build projects provide an environment in which women can feel comfortable learning skills they might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn. We’re excited to be partners with you in the effort to involve more women in the construction of Habitat for Humanity houses and in so doing move children and parents out of substandard housing and into homes where they can thrive.