Housing Information Sessions

The Family Selection Committee has completed all of its Housing Information Sessions for 2007. The next meetings will take place in the Fall of 2008. Please stay tuned to the website for dates and locations in the Summer 2008.

Important Eligibility Information

To qualify for a Habitat home you must:

• Live in housing that does must not meet your family’s
  needs. It may be in poor shape, too costly, unhealthy,
  unsafe, too small, etc.
• Have steady employment, but unable to afford or obtain
  a conventional mortgage.
• Be able to and prepared to contribute 500 hours of
  sweat equity (250 for a single parent family) on the
  building of your own home and participate in other
  Habitat projects and community activities.
• Have a total family income within the specified range (see chart)

What will this involve for you?

• You will complete 500 hours of sweat equity for a family and 250 hours for single -parent families before moving into your house.
• You will help publicize your house before and after it is built. Publicity is important because it helps bring in new volunteers and money for more Habitat houses so more families can be helped.
• You may continue to support Habitat through working as a volunteer and speaking positively about how Habitat has helped your family.
• You will make regular monthly payments on your mortgage.
• You will disclose your income to Habitat on an annual basis.
• You will maintain your home in good repair.

What will you gain from this experience?

• You will have the satisfaction of buying a home of your own.
• You will have an interest-free mortgage which costs much less than a traditional bank mortgage .
• You will develop maintenance skills learned through your sweat equity.
• You will have pride in helping other families by contributing sweat equity on other homes during/or after your build.
• You will get a sense of community from working with other volunteers.

Ten Steps to Becoming a Habitat Family

1. You must attend an outreach meeting in September. You can request an application form at the meeting.
2. You must submit your completed application to the National Capital Region Habitat office by the date specified in October.
3. The Family Selection Committee will review applications in November and December.
4. The Committee will select families that meet the criteria and arrange for visits in January.
5. All family members must be available for a family visit from members of the Family Selection Committee in January and February.
6. The Committee will meet in February and March to evaluate families they have visited.
7. The Committee will select families to enter the Partnership program in March and present their findings to the Habitat Board of Directors. Selected families will be contacted in March/ April. They will be asked to sign a Partnership Agreement and to begin their sweat equity.
8. Families who are not selected are notified in March/April. You can re-apply next year, but must re-attend an Outreach session to do so.
9. Family partners from the Family Partnering Committee will help families complete their sweat equity and answer any questions they may have.
10. Once a house is completed, a selected family will be asked to move in. Prior to the move, an Offer to Purchase and Sale is signed. From the time a family is selected to the time they occupy their new home can take up to 24 months.

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