Millard and Linda Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International in 1976 in Americus, a small town in Georgia. Now headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Habitat for Humanity International works throughout the United States through affiliates like Lakeland Habitat for Humanity, one of more than 1,700 affiliates in the USA and 550 international affiliates that build more than 3,000,000 homes throughout the world.

Habitat affiliates are independent, nonprofit organizations that are organized by local citizens and operate with local boards and local volunteers. Volunteers provide most of the labor, and faith-based, corporate and individual donors provide the money, materials and labor necessary to build Habitat homes.