Not far from Americus, Georgia, is a simple structure that houses one of the nation's most impressive museums. It's a place without famous art or a big budget, but it tells an important story.

The little building is located at Koinonia, a farm first established by Clarence Jordan, and Martin England in the heart of what was then poor, segregated, and rural Georgia in the 1940s .

The term Koinonia, says a history of the farm, is "from the Greek word which was used to identify the early church in Acts, which pooled its resources, and shared the life of Jesus Christ in an atmosphere of reconciliation. This was the model for the fledgling farm. The particular reconciliation that was so desperately needed at this time and place, was between black and white. The Koinonians hired a black man, a former sharecropper, to help with the farm. They all ate their meals together, and this breach of Southern tradition brought on the first hostility toward the community."

Not everyone was thrilled with Koinonia's views and activities: A county history shows that fires were started, Koinonia was boycotted by the KKK, there were bombings and drive-by shootings, equipment was destroyed and crosses burned. At one point, a KKK caravan with 70 cars dropped by the farm, a local grand jury investigated Koinonia to determine if it was a "communist front," and children on the farm were denied admission to local schools.

Despite such problems, Koinonia grew from 400 acres to 1,400 acres and began to see that workers not only needed jobs, they also needed housing. To meet demand, worker homes -- for workers of all races -- were built on the property.

But building on the farm presented a problem: There was only so much land at Koinonia, so more homes at the site meant less land for agriculture. If more homes were to be built, they would have to be built elsewhere -- thus the start of Habitat for Humanity. Millard Fuller, a millionaire young attorney who gave up his practice and brought his family to Koinonia in 1966, founded Habitat in 1976.

Habitat today describes itself as a "nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry" but it also states that "all who desire to be a part of this work are welcome, regardless of religious preference or background. Habitat for Humanity has always had a policy of building with people in need, regardless of race or religion, and we welcome volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds."

Meeting with Fuller for an extended private interview at a "build" in Americus several years ago, he explained that in the U.S., housing programs had to be open to all under federal anti-discrimination laws. That was an easy standard to meet, he said, because need, not a religious test, was the key to obtaining a Habitat home.

The Habitat deal is simple: Give people in need houses at the lowest possible cost. What this means is the construction of adequate, efficient houses using volunteer labor, sweat equity from future owners and materials obtained at discount or by donation. The home is then sold without profit and financed with a no-interest loan which must be repaid over time.

Since labor is donated and materials are acquired at discount or donated when possible, actual construction costs are minimal -- a typical Habitat home in the U.S. costs $46,600 compared with the average existing home price of $189,000 in January, according to the National Association of Realtors.

As to financing, it's a loan with no interest of any kind, ever. A $50,000 mortgage over 20 years at 6 percent produces a monthly cost for principal and interest of $358 and a total interest bill over the life of the loan of $35,972. With a Habitat loan, the financing cost would be $208 per month.

The catch with no-interest loans is that each time Habitat builds a house it must re-coup the cost of construction over many years. To build more houses, loans must be re-paid plus, Habitat needs additional financing up-front in the form of donations, or no-interest loans (the organization says it does not accept government funds).

Habitat is now one of the largest non-profit organizations in the U.S. It has built more than 175,000 houses worldwide and in 2003, the last year for which figures are available, it had revenues of $161 million . In addition, it has 1,700 autonomous chapters in the U.S. and 550 overseas.

Habitat's budget may be huge, but its actual impact is even bigger than the numbers suggest because so much of its work is done with free labor and sweat equity as well as discounted or donated materials. (Habitat's Form 990 tax returns are plainly posted online for anyone to review. In addition, Habitat also posts its audited financial information.)

The irony of the Habitat program is that it's a non-profit effort which instantly, and literally enriches beneficiaries. Every home Habitat provides creates the basis for real and growing household wealth. The homes, after all, are provided at a below-market price so they represent immediate equity for owners. The Habitat program can be seen as a major source of household and inter-generational wealth, an important key to community stability and upward mobility. No less important, Habitat provides ownership and equity opportunities for those who are simply outside the usual home acquisition process. Because of income limitations, Habitat owners do not qualify for a typical home at a typical price. They are the working poor, those with jobs (and often several jobs) but insufficient income to achieve home ownership.

But today Habitat faces a new era.

During the past year a powerful rift has developed within the organization. Millard Fuller, as of last week , was fired -- in part because of an allegation of "inappropriate personal behavior," an allegation Fuller has emphatically denied . Instead, Fuller has told The Washington Post that the real dispute concerns policy matters. (See: Harassment Claims Roil Habitat for Humanity (March 9, 2005) and Mr. Fuller Responds (March 14, 2005))

Former president Jimmy Carter, a long-time Habitat supporter, says the controversy can "seriously undermine support for the organization among us, and many other dedicated contributors and volunteers."

There's now an effort to bring back Fuller or perhaps start a parallel group. But whatever happens, Habitat deserves to continue because it represents a remarkable record of accomplishment.

Hopefully the current controversy will not result in less housing for those in need. And hopefully as well, the current clashes will not unfairly diminish the essential decency and decades of good work represented both by Habitat and Fuller.

For more articles by Peter G. Miller, please press here .