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A Contribution
How
the Habitat Homeowner Program Works
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Habitat for Humanity is a homeownership program that
empowers families to build a new life for themselves through
the stability and security of owning their own home.
Habitat homes are not given away but
are sold to families who qualify and are willing to make
a down payment, put in hundreds of hours of sweat equity
labor, and are willing to make a monthly mortgage payment.
Habitat homes are affordable because Habitat does not make
a profit, the homes are sold with a no-interest loan,
and the homes are built by volunteers. It's a program that works!
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Selected families
are our partners in every sense of the word. They contribute
between 250 and 500 hours of labor on their own home and on
the homes of other Habitat families. Homeowners also
participate in our Home Buyer Education program, a series of
classes designed to prepare them for the responsibilities of
homeownership. Current topics include Basic Building Skills,
Home Maintenance, Yard and Lawn Care, Budgeting, Being a Good
Neighbor and Estate Planning.
Applying
to Habitat
Candidates for a Habitat home must meet and follow strict qualification
guidelines. Orientation sessions are held (watch for announcements),
to educate prospective homeowners about our program and solicit
new applications. Several families apply every year,
but only one or two are selected. The process of selecting a
homeowner family is a laborious one, but one done with generosity
and compassion.
Habitat selects
applicants who meet our three criteria:
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• Willingness
to partner: Willing to partner with Habitat by contributing
350 hours per applicant or 500 hours per family, on
the construction
of their home and the homes of other families; willing
to make a $1,200 to $1,500 down payment; willing continue
to partner with Habitat after their home is finished
through volunteerism and home upkeep.
• Need for Housing:
Currently live in substandard, crowded or unaffordable
housing, or housing that for some reason does not meet
the needs of the family.
• Ability to
Pay: Meet the financial requirements and have the ability
to make a monthly mortgage payment based on 25% of
gross monthly income.
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How to Apply for
a Habitat Home:
Attend the Applicant Orientation Meeting to Fill Out Your Application
The application process begins with mandatory attendance at an
orientation meeting held 3 times per year (in February, June
and October). At the meeting we will explain the basic criteria,
what kind of homes we build and how the application process
works. Applications, employer verifications and landlord references
are distributed and filled out at the meeting. The orientation
is a good place to ask questions!
Family
Selection Evaluates Application & Sends
Financial Letter
Following the orientation meeting Habitat for Humanity’s
Family Selection Committee will review your application and
do a credit check to ensure that you meet the basic qualifications
for homeownership. (If you do not meet the basic qualifications,
you will be notified by Habitat.) If you appear to meet the
basic qualifications, Habitat will send you a letter listing
photocopies of documents needed for the financial review (such
as income tax returns, rent receipts etc.). You will be asked
to provide this information in person at the Habitat office
within 30-45 days.
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Results of Financial Review
After Habitat receives your financial documents, a financial review will be completed
within 30-45 days. The financial reviewers will recommend one of three things:
that the application be denied, that more information is needed, or that a
home interview be scheduled.
Volunteer For 7.5 Hours At The Construction Site
If the application is recommended for a home interview, each
applicant will need to complete 7.5 hours of volunteer work
at a Habitat construction site. If there are physical limitations,
alternate opportunities will be provided. The volunteer hours
must be completed before a home interview can be scheduled.
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Meet In Your Home With A Family Selection Committee Member
Once the reviewers have recommended that a home interview be conducted,
your file will be assigned to a member of the Family Selection
Committee. You will receive a letter listing the properties for
which your family qualifies, and will be asked to visit the properties
and then call the office to report which properties you are interested
in. Once you have expressed your interest, your Family Selection
Committee contact will set up a home interview with you and your
family. The home interview provides Habitat the opportunity to
determine your current housing need, and to further discuss the
responsibilities of being a Habitat Partner Family.
If you are not interested in any of the property you can request
to keep your file active for the remainder of the application
period, but Habitat does not guarantee that more property will
become available. If you have not been selected for a property
within eight months since your orientation then your file will
be deactivated and you will need to reapply at the next orientation.
Receive Approval From The Family Selection Committee
In the months following your home interview, the Family Selection
Committee will meet to review your application for homeownership.
You will receive notification about whether your family has
been selected for homeownership for any of the properties
in which you expressed interest. You will be notified by
your Family Selection Committee contact as soon as a decision
is made. If you are approved, the homebuilding process takes
between 9 and 15 months.
Work With Your Family Support Committee Contact
After you are approved for homeownership, volunteers from the
Family Support Advisory Teams will start to work with you
to help you become a successful Habitat homeowner. They will
partner with you to keep you updated on the contruction of
your home, track Sweat Equity progress and closing cost deposits,
and answer any questions you might have.
Complete Sweat Equity Hours and Pay Deposit for Closing Costs
You will need to complete several hundred sweat equity hours
(per family) at Habitat construction sites before you can
move into your Habitat home. You will also be asked to make
payments on the deposit for closing costs and the first year
of homeowner insurance. The deposit will need to be fully
paid by the time of closing. Your support team will work
with you to make sure that all deadlines are met.
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