Who We Are

Habitat for Humanity of Miami and Shelby Counties, Ohio is an affiliate organization under the umbrella of Habitat for Humanity International.  Habitat believes that everyone deserves a decent place to live. Our mission is to put God’s love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities, and hope. We work under the leadership of a local board of trustees to partner with people in our area to help them build or improve a place they can call home.  

Habitat for Humanity of Miami and Shelby Counties works toward affordable housing for all in many ways.  We operate two ReStores, one at 1490 W. Main St in Troy, and a second at 1024 Wapokoneta Ave. in Sidney which sell new and gently used home repair materials as a way to fund our programming.  We build homes in partnership with corporations, local companies, churches, and local families and sell each home at a 0% interest rate.  Habitat for Humanity of Miami and Shelby Counties leverages a skilled volunteer pool to complete critical home repairs for qualified homeowners. The Home Repairs Program is supported by grant funding and private sponsorships. 

Our affiliate also has a 5,000 square-foot state-of-the-art workshop in our building.  The Habitat Activity Center is staffed by dedicated volunteers who build sponsored playhouses, park benches, picnic tables, as well as completing community projects. Explore our site to find out more about how Habitat homeowners achieve the strength, stability, and self-reliance they need to build a better life for themselves and for their families.

History of Habitat for Humanity
of Miami and Shelby Counties

Habitat for Humanity International

The idea that became Habitat for Humanity first grew from the fertile soil of Koinonia Farm, a community farm outside of Americus, Georgia, founded by farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan.

On the farm, Jordan and Habitat’s eventual founders Millard and Linda Fuller developed the concept of “partnership housing.” The concept centered on those in need of adequate shelter working side by side with volunteers to build decent, affordable houses. The houses would be built at no profit. New homeowners’ house payments would be combined with no-interest loans provided by supporters and money earned by fundraising to create “The Fund for Humanity,” which would then be used to build more homes. In 1973, the Fullers decided to take the Fund for Humanity concept to Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. After three years of hard work to launch a successful house building program there, the Fullers then returned to the United States and called together a group of supporters to discuss the future of their dream: Habitat for Humanity International.

Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976, and over the years the mission of Habitat has become increasingly well-known through high profile volunteers such as Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter and Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Habitat now works in all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries and has helped more than 59 million people achieve strength, stability and independence through safe, decent and affordable shelter.