Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families.

Habitat homes are affordable to families with low incomes, because the houses are modest, built largely by volunteers and the families themselves, and are sold at no profit with a no-interest mortgage.

The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses.Cape Ann Habitat for Humanity uses a deed restriction to make sure that its houses will be affordable in perpetuity.

Founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller and his wife Linda, Habitat has built more than 200,000 houses worldwide, housing over one million people.

Habitat is a hand up, not a hand out. Each of our partner families (homeowners):

• Makes a down payment
• Makes monthly mortgage payments
• Invests hundreds of hours of their own labor — sweat equity — into building their house and the houses of others.

Habitat does not accept government funds for the construction of houses, but we will accept government funding to help "set the stage" for the construction of houses. Stage-setting funding and gifts might include land, houses for rehabilitation, infrastructure for streets, utilities, and administrative expenses.