Housing Charity Habitat Among Nation’s Top Home Builders

Habitat for Humanity International, the 34-year-old charity that specializes in building and rehabilitating homes for low-income families, has joined the ranks of America’s biggest home builders, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The nonprofit organization, which maintains headquarters in Americus, Ga., closed on 5,294 dwellings, worth a combined $1.4-billion in 2009, ranking it eighth on the closely watched industry list compiled annually by Builder Magazine.

The top-10 ranking, a first for Habitat, reflects retrenchment by some major builders amid the housing and financial crises and the charity’s focus on affordable housing, for which demand remains high. Habitat also benefits from extensive use of donated building materials and volunteer labor.