What We Do

For over 15 years, Habitat Bay Waveland has built affordable housing for low-income families in Hancock and Pearl River counties.

We are a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian ministry founded on the conviction that every man, woman, and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live. There are more than 1,500 local affiliates in the United States and more than 80 national organizations around the world. Together, we have helped to build or repair over 600,000 houses and serve more than 3 million people worldwide.

We Build Strength

Through homeowner education, we prepare families for the life-changing experience of home ownership. We don’t give houses away; We sell homes to qualified low-income families and give them a 0% interest loan for up to 30 years.

Through engagement, participation, and sacrifice we help families work hard to achieve independence.

Through volunteerism, we help people experience the power of serving others and giving of themselves.

We build strong homes. Stronger families. Stronger volunteers. Stronger communities.

We Build Stability

Our home ownership, critical home repair, and weatherization programs contribute to family stability. Habitat homeowners are all low-income first time home buyers. Almost without exception, they were previously renters. The impact of homeownership on their lives is long lasting and transformative. Some of the impacts include:

Their children achieve higher educational success and are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college.
They are less likely to have teenage daughters get pregnant before age 16.
They increase their civic involvement and become more likely to vote, be involved in community service, and attend church.
They are less likely to require any form of public assistance.
They are more likely to be healthy and consider themselves happy.

To read more extensive research on the impact of home ownership on health, well-being, and stability you can read the following studies:

Harvard Joint Center for Housing Study

Social Benefits of Homeownership and Stable Housing

We Build Self-Reliance

Since Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976, we’ve sought to “give people a hand up…not a hand out.” This is reflected in everything we do. It’s a by-product of building strength and stability into people’s lives.

We aren’t a give a way program, instead, we partner with financial sponsors and volunteers to build and repair homes. We don’t give houses away; We sell homes to qualified low-income families and give them a 0% interest loan for up to 30 years.