Pride Build 2026

The Reality: Housing & LGBTQ+ Disparities

At Habitat, we believe love builds a home. However, systemic barriers tell a different story for the LGBTQ+ community. While the national U.S. homeownership rate hovers around 66%, the homeownership rate for LGBTQ+ individuals drops sharply to between 49% and 51%. This gap widens even further for transgender individuals and queer people of color. Facing disproportionate rates of housing discrimination and economic instability, roughly half of the LGBTQ+ community relies heavily on rental housing, leaving many vulnerable to displacement as housing costs rise across the Wasatched Front.

The Evolution of Affinity Builds

Following in the footsteps of the world's very first "Rainbow Build" in Tucson in 2005, affiliates like Seattle-King County launched the highly visible Pride Build in 2015. This effectively standardized the initiative alongside other affinity weeks, creating a blueprint for radical inclusivity and housing advocacy that quickly spread to affiliates nationwide.

What We Did This Year

Our local community turned out with incredible energy and purpose! From June 22nd to June 27th, our volunteers completed daily construction shifts focused on vital landscaping and critical accessibility enhancements to an existing home and community spaces across South Salt Lake. This year’s event carried extra emotional weight as we paused on Friday, June 26th, to host a ceremony honoring the 11th anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges—the landmark Supreme Court decision establishing nationwide marriage equality.

Week Highlights

• 180+ Volunteers: Six full days of building, hammering, and learning together on-site with zero experience required.
• Foundational Health: Promoting the idea that stable housing is directly tied to broader LGBTQ+ physical and mental health outcomes.
• Pride Swag & Spirit: Commemorative shirts, stickers, catered lunches, and a community celebration of authentic allyship.

A Home for Everyone

Pride Build is a direct reflection of our mission to bring people together to build homes, community, and hope. While the build week has wrapped up, the impact of these equitable housing solutions will last for generations.

Corporate Partnership

Missed out on the build site? Your organization can still champion local equity. We offer year-round corporate sponsorship opportunities to fund the building materials that turn housing rights into realities.