Habitat for Humanity is doing good things. Like Mary Anne pointed out, the people who get the homes have to put in a lot of work on it so there's little chance they'll let the house go to seed, partly because they have the pride of ownership and partly because they have useful skills to help maintain the home.

The homes being built aren't fancy but they're well constructed. When Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida back in 1992, many of the HfH homes had little damage while their commerically built neighbors were flattened. The houses are of relatively modest size and don't have a lot of fancy fixtures but they make good homes for the families who receive them.

A lot of good hearted people come together to build those homes. Most of the building materials are either donated or sold for cost. Quite a few construction professionals contribute to the projects, aided by eager volunteers who are seeking to help others.

Jimmy Carter didn't found HfH but is the group's most prominent spokesman. He was a lousy President, IMO, but was and is a good man.