Family Selection Criteria

Do You Have A Current Housing Need?
Our program serves low income families who lack adequate housing and cannot access adequate housing through conventional ways. The desire to own a home, by itself, does not constitute a need for housing.

To qualify for our program: 

• Your gross income from all sources must not be more than 80% of the area median income; AND
  
• Something about your current housing situation must be substandard. Examples of substandard conditions in your current housing may include, but are not limited to:
        - Structural problems;
        - Problems with plumbing, sewage, or electrical systems;
        - Unsafe heating system or no formal heating system;
        - Lack of air conditioning;
        - Little or no insulation; 
        - Lack of functioning entrance and exit points (front and back doors); 
        - Unhealthy conditions including, but not limited to, mold due to roof leaks or   pest infestation due to structural cracks and crevices;
        - Unsuitable neighborhood (unsafe or unsanitary);
        - Inoperable kitchen or bathroom;
  -Overcrowding (determined by number of persons, their ages, and gender);
        - Cost-burdened (cost of rent plus utilities - excluding phone – is greater than 35% of family’s monthly income);
        - Homelessness (living with friends or relatives or in temporary housing);
        - Family has been denied conventional or government assisted financing; or
        - Living in government subsidized housing.

How Do We Evaluate Your Housing Need?
You will be asked to provide a description of your current housing and why you feel that it is inadequate. You must also be willing to allow members of our Selection Committee to conduct a home visit to observe the conditions you report. 

Your Family Must Be Able To Pay For A Habitat Home
HFHMGC Partner Families purchase homes from Habitat. To be eligible, your family must:

• Earn no less than 25% of the area median income;
• Have a stable source of income of which a projected HFHMGC mortgage payment will not be more than 30% to 35% of your monthly gross;
• Not have a debt load that would prevent you from paying normal cost of living expenses each month (including the projected mortgage payment);
• Not have any unsatisfied judgments or liens filed against you;
• Demonstrate the ability to make regular payments for rent, utilities, etc. in current housing; and
• Not have excessive collection items on your credit report.
  A note about credit: You do not have to have perfect credit to qualify for our program. However, you should be able to demonstrate a recent history of paying bills on time.
  

How Do We Evaluate Your Ability to Pay?

You will be required to openly and fully discuss your financial situation. You will be required to provide extensive documentation of your income from all sources. You will also be asked to provide detailed information about your current expenses and debts and authorize a thorough review of your credit history.

Are You Willing To Partner with HFHMGC?
To be eligible for our program, you must be willing to invest your time, effort, and commitmentEach family selected by HFHMGC is considered to be a full partner in our mission to eliminate substandard housing in our community. As our partners, each HFHMGC family must:

• Complete hundreds of hours of volunteer work we call “Sweat Equity.” Sweat Equity is the time and physical involvement that each family will devote to: 
  The construction of their future home and other HFHMGC homes;
  Developing skills for successful homeownership through participation in education programs made available through HFHMGC; and
  Building and strengthening ties to community through attendance at HFHMGC events and other community service activities.
• Prepare for the costs of home ownership during the construction process. As a Partner Family, you will be responsible for paying the cost of your first year’s homeowner’s insurance and closing costs at the time of closing. To prepare for this expense, each family must make regular deposits into an account set up to save and pay these costs at the Act of Sale;
• Be willing to move where HFHMGC has land on which to build;
• Work enthusiastically alongside diverse members of your community;
• Agree to maintain the home and property after purchase; and
• Agree to pay the mortgage regularly and on time after purchase.