5YDNEY, AUSTRALIA — 25 March 2026. The housing crisis is one of the most pressing global challenges. Every day, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without access to a safe, affordable home.
Today, Habitat for Humanity Australia joins hundreds of Habitat organizations worldwide to launch Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign marking Habitat for Humanity’s 50th anniversary and bringing new urgency to the need for safe and affordable housing.
Through pop-up installations, on-the-ground builds and digital storytelling across more than 60 countries, the campaign aims to spark global conversations and mobilise communities to take action on an issue shaping health, equity and economic resilience.
As part of this milestone year, Habitat for Humanity Australia is also celebrating 50 years of building homes, communities and hope, marking five decades of partnership with families across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity in Australia has worked alongside families to create safe, affordable housing and stronger futures. What began as a grassroots movement has grown into a national and international force for housing equity, powered by volunteers, donors, corporate partners and community advocates.
Globally, Habitat for Humanity has supported more than 65 million people to improve their housing circumstances. Across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, millions of families have accessed safe housing solutions through new builds, critical repairs, disaster response and community-led development initiatives.
For five decades, Habitat’s work has been grounded in a simple belief: a better life starts with a home.
“As we celebrate 50 years of building with families and communities, we’re inviting Australians to be part of something bigger,” said Penny Kaleta, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Australia.
“We cannot simply build our way out of the housing crisis. We need communities, partners and supporters to step forward, give, speak up and volunteer. Let’s open the door to brighter futures and help close the housing gap, starting right here in Australia.”
50 Years of Impact
- 65 million people served globally
- 7 million people served across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region
- Hundreds of volunteer-led builds delivered
- 1.7 million volunteers mobilised globally
- Transformative partnerships with government, corporate and community supporters
Habitat is also highlighting the importance of home through open-door installations in select cities around the world, designed to spark conversations about the role housing plays in building strong communities.
Looking Ahead: 50 for 50
As Habitat marks this milestone year, it is also looking firmly to the future through 50 for 50, a global commitment to help improve housing conditions for 50 million people in the years ahead.
The strategy focuses on:
- Building more and better homes
- Transforming housing systems to expand affordable access
- Inspiring millions of people to take action on housing
“For Habitat, this anniversary is not only a moment to reflect, it’s a moment to accelerate,” Kaleta said. “As we cross the threshold into our next 50 years, we’re focused on building a world where everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home.”
Marking the Milestone
To celebrate its 50th anniversary and support the Let’s Open the Door campaign, Habitat for Humanity Australia will host a series of initiatives, including:
- 50th Anniversary Global Village Builds in Nepal and Cambodia (3–11 October 2026)
- 50th Anniversary National Build It Day across Australia
- Built Together: 50 Years of Opening Doors, a celebration event at the Royal Botanic Gardens on Thursday, 29 October 2026 (4:00pm–6:00pm), honouring long-standing volunteers, donors and partners
- Celebratory events will be held at our Victorian and South Australian ReStores on October 29th. More details to come.
With housing affordability at crisis levels, Habitat is inviting Australians to be part of the next chapter.
Together, we can open the door to opportunity.
To learn more about the Let’s Open the Door campaign and how to get involved, visit habitat.org.au.
About Habitat for Humanity Australia
Habitat for Humanity is a movement of people in your local area and around the world, working together to build more prosperous and vibrant communities by making sure everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home. Since our founding in 1976, together we have helped more than 62 million people globally build their futures on their own terms through access to decent housing. We’ve done that by working alongside people of all walks of life to build, repair and finance their homes, by innovating new ways of building and financing, and by advocating for policies that make constructing and accessing housing easier for everyone. Together, we build homes, communities and hope. To learn more, visit habitat.org.au
Media Contact:
Monique Schierz-Crusius
[email protected]