Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program leverages its resources and community partnerships to equip women to serve in their communities, enabling them to address local affordable homeownership challenges. The program also provides opportunities for women volunteers to participate in homebuilding and repair activities to help build stronger, safer communities. Habitat for Humanity’s Women Builders have been picking up a hammer and helping change lives for more than 25 years!

The new and improved Women Build goes beyond the build. We will be hosting an International Women’s Day Panel, quarterly lunch and learns, Sip n’ Shops in the ReStore and other fun events throughout the year for our Women Builders, culminating in our Women Build Volunteer Event. Our Women Build Volunteer Event will be held in October this year and bring together hundreds of individuals to take action against unaffordable housing through fundraising and volunteerism to create a lasting impact in our community. While the event focuses on women, ALL are welcome! Absolutely no experience is required, but you must be 16 or older.

Are you ready to build with us? Join the Habitat Women Build movement to raise walls, awareness and funds! We ask each Women Builder to donate or raise $100 (or more) to participate or put together a team of 10 and combine your efforts to raise $1,500. All funds and volunteer efforts will go towards getting future Habitat homeowners into their forever homes!

Registration will open in March 2025.

Why Women Build Matters

Achieving housing stability is far more difficult for women to realize than for men in similar situations. Here are just four reasons why:

- Men earn more on average than women, resulting in access to higher credit, better loans and better-quality homes and neighborhoods.

- Unequal caregiving responsibilities limit a woman’s ability to dedicate the necessary time to obtaining and maintaining consistent employment and decent housing.

- Single women are denied mortgages at higher rates than single men despite the fact women are more reliable at paying back mortgages.

- Women, especially those who serve as head of the families and women of color, disproportionately face obstacles that make accessing decent, affordable housing seem impossible.

At Charleston Habitat, we know that stable housing is transformative for women and their families. When families have a safe, decent place to call home, they are more likely to be healthier, attain higher levels of education, and build more wealth. Through sponsorships and fundraising, we will come together to raise funds and construct a home for a family in need. It’s more than just building a home; it’s building a better future and a strong foundation for a family in our community.