Qualifying for a Home
Habitat for Humanity of Elkhart County has 3 general guidelines for qualifying for a home.
1. Need for better housing- Our Family Selection Committee reviews applications, interviews applicants, observes their living situation and determines if there is a need for better housing.
2. Willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity- Each adult is required to put in 250 sweat equity hours prior to moving into their new home. These hours consist of homeownership and financial management courses, construction on other Partner Family homes, construction on the individual's home, assisting in the office and ReStore, or other activities pre-approved by the Habitat office.
3. Ability to pay- Habitat for Humanity of Elkhart County follows the HUD financial guidelines. Habitat is not a giveaway program, and every family pays for their house. The mortgage is very affordable (Habitat does not make any profit), but we also make sure that a family is able to pay before selecting them. If you think that your financial situation or accumulated debt could be a problem, be proactive and call us now! We can help get you back on track before you apply.
How do I apply?
Currently, applications are only taken once a year. Public information meetings are held throughout the county and persons interested in applying for housing are invited to attend one of these meetings in order to learn more about Habitat, the application process, and pick up an application. These meetings are the only place where applications are given out.
Prior to this meeting you need to fill out a Pre-Qualifying Income Information form. This can be done online or by printing this form and returning it via mail. Contact the office to receive an information packet. Once this is returned to the office the your contact information is added to our data base and we will send out postcards to all who have expressed interest in becoming a Partner family to notify them of the dates for the selection information meeting. You are responsible to inform us if your address changes.
How long does the process take?
Habitat for Humanity of Elkhart County is not a quick fix to housing needs. The application process takes up to 3 months. Once a family has been selected it can be anywhere from 18 months to 2 years before they move into their new home.
