Qualifications
All households--including individuals, couples (married or unmarried) and families--can apply for a Habitat house. To qualify for a Habitat home, applicants must meet criteria across four areas. Applicants that meet the following qualification criteria are encouraged to submit a mini-application to our Family Selection department. The review of the mini-application will take two to four weeks. This is step one of the application process. The entire approval process consists of four steps that occur over a period of approximately 4-6 months.
First Qualification: General
- Be a first-time homeowner or have not owned a home in the past 3 years
- Live or work in Wake County for at least a full year prior to applying
Second Qualification: Housing Need
Have a need for housing based on one or more of the following situations at current housing:
- Overcrowded conditions. Examples: adult and child (one year or older) share a bedroom; 2 or more children share a bedroom; children of opposite genders share a bedroom; or there is less than 100 square feet of living space
- Substandard housing. Examples: broken plumbing; faulty or unsafe electrical service; inadequate heating; or structural problems
- Unsafe neighborhoods. Example: recurrent criminal activities near the applicant's current home (that are confirmed in police reports)
- High rental payments (also referred to as cost-burdened). Example: current rent payments greater than 30% of the applicant's gross income
- Subsidized housing. Example: live in public housing or have a Section 8 voucher to help with rental payment
Third Qualification: Ability to Pay a Mortgage
- Stable income: must have verifiable income (income tax returns, pay stubs) that meets our guidelines:
- Must have had a steady income for at least 12 months and currently.
- If with a temporary employment agency, must have been employed without interruption for one year and with continued employment likely.
- If self-employed, must have verifiable income for two years.
- Adequate income: must be between 25% - 60% of Area Median Income. Reliable income, which will continue for at least three years (child support, social security income, disability), can also be counted. View Income Guidelines.
- Reasonable credit history: Non-medical collections must be less than $1,000 and paid down to $0 if approved. No unsatisfied judgments on credit report or civil records. Outstanding credit must be manageable within a budget. (Click here for instruction on how to obtain a free credit report.)
- Excellent or satisfactory rental history: Must have maintained own household (formal lease agreement) for at least one year within the past three years.
- No bankruptcies discharged within the last 2 years.
Fourth Qualification: Willingness to Partner
Applicants must be willing to work 250 "sweat equity" hours on the construction of their home, attend homeowner classes, fully participate in a partnership (with Habitat staff, sponsors, and volunteers), and commit to maintaining their Habitat home and community.
Note: "Sweat equity" is Habitat's name for the labor that Habitat homeowners put towards building their houses and the houses of their neighbors. It allows the Habitat homeowner family to work alongside volunteers, supports pride of ownership, and teaches skills. Homeowners do "sweat equity" after they are selected to be Habitat partners and in coordination with Habitat staff. The labor is completed before the Habitat homeowner moves into his/her new house. The labor can be construction, stocking at ReStore or office support.
Most sweat equity hours are completed in construction but some hours may be completed working in Habitat’s ReStore or office.Por la información y las aplicaciónes en español: clic aquí
