Building Goal: To build 100,000 homes

It took Habitat for Humanity 24 years to build its first 100,000 houses, but the increase in Habitat affiliates throughout the world, the energy and faith of volunteers and the blight of substandard housing demanded that Habitat accelerate its building practice. Through the More Than Houses campaign, Habitat built the second 100,000 in only five years, providing affordable, decent housing to more than 500,000 people worldwide.

In August 2005, in Knoxville, Tenn., Habitat presented the key to its 200,000^th house to Koffi Kouassi and Tonya Harper and their children, Kenny Harper, 20; Folasada Harper, 18; Jeminata Harper, 14; Koffi Harper, 9; and eight-year-old twins N’Dah and Ayah Harper.

Twenty-four minutes after the 200,000^th house was dedicated in Knoxville, the owners of the 200,001^st Habitat house—built in Kanyakumari, India—received the key to their house. It is the first new home for Michel, his wife Vivitha and their four children, whose house was destroyed in the tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004.