74711 external_news 1324290841 1475893443 The housing market is in a slump, but the basic need for shelter is a constant. Enter Habitat for Humanity International - which placed sixth in Builder magazine's survey of the largest U.S. homebuilders, with 6,032 home closings last year. Despite the many relatively inexpensive homes for sale Habitat is filling a big gap in affordable housing. Observes Stephen Melman, economist for the National Association of Home Builders: "Affordability is close to an all-time high because of historically low interest rates and home prices rolled back about 10 years or more." But, he adds, the requirement for "near-perfect credit scores and large down payments" are shutting out buyers… "These services are critical right now," observes Dan Immergluck, professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "We face a glut of vacant homes, and Habitat buyers are one of the few sources of buyers able to purchase in many markets."

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