Hungary

Context at a glance

Five-year-old Erzsebet stands outside the run-down apartment she lives in with her mother in Budapest

Hungary is a member state of the European Union. However, as a former Eastern Bloc country, Hungary is grappling with the deep scars of communist economic and social policies. In spite of many positive reforms, overcrowded housing without proper sanitation is still the reality for too many low-income families in Hungary.

According to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, 1.2 million people live in overcrowded conditions. More than one family often share single-room apartments. There are almost 4 million homes in Hungary and more than 400,000 lack a water pipeline. Many homes have no sewage systems, and over 670,000 do not have a flush toilet.

Habitat for Humanity programme

Since HFH started work in Hungary in 1996, more than 100 Hungarian families have moved into their own Habitat home.

In order to provide decent shelter for as many individuals as possible, the work in Hungary places a special emphasis on families with more than one child. As well as building simple, decent homes, Habitat also works to support family care and community-building projects so as to improve the lives of homeowner families for the long term.

Because of the high cost of construction, Habitat for Humanity in Hungary prefers construct buildings that house more than one family – either buildings with 2 units or terraced housing. These homes are built with simple, energy-efficient, light-frame construction and rely on volunteer-friendly technologies to lower the labour cost. Average mortgage payments for homeowner families are the equivalent of approximately £54 per month. Families have an average period of 20 to 25 years to pay off their no-interest, no-profit mortgage.

Back to list of countries