Criteria for Choosing Habitat Partner FamiliesPartner families (buyers) are chosen based on three criteria: need, ability to pay, and willingness to partner.
Families living in substandard housing - those with structural defects or serious safety concerns; inaccessibility due to handicapping conditions; overcrowding; unstable living arrangements (having to bunk down in friends or relatives' homes); an unstable arrangement due to a lease; or finally those who are cost-burdened (those who must pay 30% or more of their monthly income on housing.)
They must be a legal citizen of the U.S. or a permanent legal resident at the time they apply and be willing to live where Habitat builds. There can be no unresolved legal issue (like an impending divorce or suit), at the time of application and, they must be a resident of Blanco County.
They must have the ability to pay.
Habitat builds and sells homes at no profit and for 0% interest, so any partner family (whether a single older person or a young family of 10) must demonstrate their ability to pay their mortgage payment.
They are actually buying their home from Habitat for Humanity. Their monthly mortgage payments go back to Habitat to fund the building of homes for others.
There are income guidelines, based on family size, which designate those eligible within this category. Applicants must show proof of at least one year's stable income and their present debt-load must be such that they are able to afford their mortgage payment.
The family finally selected is required to undergo 10 weeks of training in financial management, home repair and maintenance, nutrition, and long-range planning.
Finally, they must be willing to partner with Habitat.
That means that they must be willing to volunteer 250 hours working on their own home (and eventually others) as well as participating in volunteer organizations throughout the county.
This is the "sweat equity" program, which is essentially their down payment on the home.
They must also participate in the application process by providing the necessary documentation and signing agreements for credit checks and other verifications.
After the house is sold to the family they must keep up their mortgage payments just as anyone paying down a mortgage, and they must keep their home maintained and in good repair.
Should a Habitat family experience a crisis and have difficulty paying their mortgage Habitat will work directly with them to insure that a temporary crisis does not result in the loss of their home.
