Advocacy means supporting and promoting a cause you believe in.

At Habitat for Humanity, we advocate to change policies and systems so that we can eliminate barriers to adequate, affordable housing. Our vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Building is part of the solution, but the less visible aspects of housing like laws, regulations, systems and rules about land and the built environment are critical components, too. Sustainable and inclusive policies and systems can promote access to decent housing, while others can create barriers. And those barriers make it harder to find land for construction, build a home or be able to afford a place to live.

Habitat’s approach to advocacy is based on decades of on-the-ground experience and policy expertise. From our deep understanding of housing and its central role in providing opportunities for families, we work to reform laws in a non-confrontational, nonpartisan way.

Habitat has helped families build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter for more than four decades. Since our founding in 1976, Habitat has served millions of people, and there’s no question that our work has made a significant impact throughout the world.

But it’s not enough. Today, one out of every four people around the world are still in need of a safe, healthy and affordable place to call home. In addition to lifting our hammers, we must also lift our voices in support of adequate shelter. Advocating for sustainable and inclusive policies and systems that promote access to decent housing is critical to achieving our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.