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In 1976, Millard and Linda Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) after experimenting with housing ministries in Americus, Georgia and Zaire. HFHI is an ecumenical Christian agency dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and to making adequate affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. In the mid 1980’s, former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn took their first Habitat work trip and the popularity of this budding organization began to spread. Around the time of the Carters’ involvement, in 1983, a group of concerned and motivated individuals in Atlanta founded a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity. Atlanta Habitat is now one of the largest affordable single-family housing developers in the City, and is the second largest of 1,600 affiliates of Habitat for Humanity in the United States.
1983
Atlanta Habitat for Humanity Founded as a Response to Housing Needs
In 1983, Atlanta recorded the second largest percentage of below-poverty-level residents of any city in the country (24.7%). Responding to several decades of an unmet critical housing need, a group of concerned Atlantans opened an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity. Habitat’s simple and broadly appealing mission – to provide the opportunity of homeownership to low-income families in need – quickly garnered support.
Emily Wallace, the first Atlanta Habitat homeowner, received keys to her home March 11th at a dedication attended by family, friends, city and state governmental officials, and other community members. She, two sons and three grandsons still live in their house in Peoplestown, which Emily paid off in full in 1994 thanks to affordable mortgage payments and a no-interest loan. Like many homeowners, she emphasizes that her house is a place her children can always come home to, a place of comfort and security in a neighborhood they have always called home.
Jimmy Carter Work Project Comes to Edgewood
 In the largest concentrated construction effort ever undertaken by any Habitat affiliate up until that time, a group of more than 1,200 volunteers led by former President Jimmy Carter joined to build 20 new homes in just five days. Volunteers and new homeowner families worked side by side to transform southeast Atlanta’s Edgewood neighborhood.
In the summer of 1991, Lucille Williams and her family moved out of an overcrowded apartment and into the 100th house built by Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. While Atlanta Habitat traditionally relies on larger organizational sponsors (corporate or faith-based), this milestone build was funded entirely by individuals. Each volunteer contributed at least $100 and a day of on-site work to complete the house in five Saturdays.
Atlanta Habitat for Humanity dreamed of building a lasting legacy of 100 affordable homes to commemorate the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Announced in August 1994, the project was a partnership among Atlanta Habitat, the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, the Metropolitan Atlanta Olympic Games Authority, dozens of corporate and faith-based sponsors and countless individual volunteers. Throughout 1995 and into 1996, 80 homes were constructed. A final “blitz” build – 20 homes in just six days in Atlanta’s Peoplestown neighborhood – concluded the 100 Homes: Building an Atlanta Legacy project. As far as you could see down Washington Street, Atlanta Habitat sponsors, volunteers (including Olympic athletes), and homeowners were building homes, hope and lasting friendships.
 Atlanta Habitat for Humanity purchased a 55-acre tract of property in southeast Atlanta’s Glen Rose Heights neighborhood in 1993 envisioning not only a subdivision, but also a community. Under the guidance of John Wieland Homes, Franzmann-Davis, Watson-Browning Engineering, and RJA Properties, and with the spirit and determination of new homeowner families, Mt. Zion Manor began to take shape early in 1997. This neighborhood is now home to nearly 50 Atlanta Habitat homeowner families.
In September of 1999, Atlanta Habitat became the first affiliate in the United States to reach the 500th home milestone. Then board member James Dallas said at the dedication of the 500th house, “This represents a dream come true for one family. But this house also makes it possible for others to dream.” Homeowner Tomekey Fanning knew exactly which dreams her new home would bring to fruition, “My mortgage payment will be $200 less than what I was paying for rent on a two-bedroom apartment. That means that I’ll be able to save more money, so my kids will have a future. They’ll be able to go to college.”
 This discount store sells new and gently used home improvement materials, home furnishings and building supplies at up to 75% off retail. Inventory is donated by well-known manufacturers, retail stores, builders, renovation specialists and individuals. All proceeds from ReStore sales benefit Atlanta Habitat's mission. The Atlanta Habitat ReStore is a crucial part of Atlanta Habitat's environmental initiatives; it has diverted more than 1,300 tons of material from going in the landfill since its opening.
 Consumer advocate and radio personality Clark Howard teamed with his listeners and volunteers from Black & Decker, GE, Turner Broadcasting System, the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Hawks, the Atlanta Thrashers and The Home Depot to build seven homes in South Atlanta. This project, called The Street Where Dreams Come True, involved nearly 2,000 volunteers over nine weeks to create a community on what had previously been an overgrown, vacant lot. With an eye to the future, all seven homes were equipped with energy-saving features designed to make these truly affordable homes.
For seven consecutive Sundays, a team consisting of Baha’i, Baptist, Episcopal, Jewish, Muslim, Seventh Day Adventist and Unitarian congregation members spent their days together while building a Habitat house. The eight congregations provided both funds and volunteers in support of the project. In addition, each week a different congregation supplied the meals on site and led a traditional service according to their faith. All of the members of the interfaith group realized their similarities when they worked together to provide an affordable, attractive home for a fellow citizen.
The 20-year milestone brought with it much celebration at Atlanta Habitat. Through public relations, fundraising, stewardship and community involvement, Atlanta Habitat turned their 20th anniversary into a catalyst for more excitement. Staff and volunteers organized and built a 20th Anniversary Commemorative House and hosted a fall celebration at the warehouse where attendees had the chance to reminisce about past projects and learn about Habitat’s mission through a staff guided tour. Atlanta Habitat and all of its friends felt proud—all shared the same eagerness to continue the story during the next 20 years.
 In an effort to reduce utility bills for homeowners and be a good steward of natural resources, Atlanta Habitat partnered with Southface to begin making all of its new homes EarthCraft certified. Features that make homes EarthCraft certified include the use of low-emissivity windows, extra attention to caulking and sealing to make homes more airtight, and environmental education for homebuyers, among other things.
In the unpredictable economic climate of the past few years, Atlanta Habitat has had to work even harder to provide quality, attractive, affordable homeownership options in the city, but it continues to be a worthwhile effort. Hundreds of families have echoed the sentiments of Sheron Webb, an Atlanta Habitat homeowner: “I’ve always looked at a home as being the major security in one’s life, and I couldn’t afford to have one. This house is the best thing that ever happened to me!” Because there will always be a need for workforce housing in the City, Atlanta Habitat will continue raising funds, educating new homebuyers and reaching out to the community to ensure that affordable options exist.
The $4 million For Our Future: Building houses, building hope campaign was exceeded by $2 million.
The 25th anniversary brings many exciting milestones: the first townhouse project, dropping of service area boundaries with cooperation among Habitat affiliates in metro Atlanta and the 1,000th and 1,001st houses built by Atlanta Habitat.
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WEB.jpg "The 1,000th and 1,001st Atlanta Habitat homebuyers. Click to see video and more photos from this momentous event.")
