If you or someone you know finds themselves facing barriers to opportunity due to inadequate living conditions, we may be able to help.

• 1) Your must live or work in Montgomery or Delaware Counties for at least one year.
• 2) You must have a need for better housing, be able to pay an affordable mortgage and be ready and willing to invest hundreds of hours in ‘sweat equity.’
• 3) Only applicants that are not currently homeowners will be considered.

• The next application cycle for our Home Buying program will open November 1, 2017 and close December 31, 2017.
• You must first attend an information session, which will be announced soon. If you would are interested, please complete this form and a member of our Family Services team will contact you.
• You can find the screening form that we use with applicants here. Habitat has a nondiscriminatory policy of homebuyer selection.

• 1) We do not ‘give’ families homes in exchange for sweat equity
• 2) Habitat homeowners DO work on the houses they eventually purchase but that labor does not replace the mortgage or the responsibility to pay for it.
• 3) We don’t give houses away
• 4) Our families pay a mortgage for their homes. To qualify, they must have stable income and go through a detailed financial screening process similar to that of traditional mortgages.
• 5) We do not provide crisis or other short-term housing
• 6) Because of our program requirements, we cannot help families in emergency situations.

Potential homebuyers must have a need for stable, affordable housing. You might be living in transitional housing or struggling with overcrowded or poorly built, unhealthy, damaged or inadequate housing. You might be paying more than 30% of monthly income for housing, or you might be unable to obtain a traditional mortgage or save for a traditional down payment.

Families must be able to afford monthly mortgage payments*, which include principle, taxes and insurance. Typical monthly payments range from $650 to $825 per month for 30 years. We look at applicants’ credit history for evidence of a good payment history and responsibility, but we do not require a minimum credit score. Potential homeowners must have a consistent income and/or employment history. Habitat MontDelco lends to families that make between 30 and 60 percent of median income for the county. We look at gross income (income before taxes) and include all stable sources of income, such as disability, social security, food stamps, alimony and child support. Compare your income against the chart below to see if your income falls within the minimum and maximum amount.

Potential homeowners must first attend an information session. Once selected, potential Habitat homeowners must partner with us throughout the process. This partnership includes performing 200 hours of “sweat equity” – construction work on homes and financial literacy classes and working in one of our ReStores or in the office. Sweat equity hours must be completed before purchasing a home.

All homebuyers are required to attend our Almost Home program of 40 classroom hours and one-on-one time with a financial coach. This program teaches crucial financial literacy skills to ensure that families can afford their mortgages and weather future financial challenges.