Selecting a Habitat Partner Family
Criteria for families applying
- Must need better housing for family i.e. home is too
small for the number and gender of children, house has structural deficiencies,
paying too high a percentage of income for housing.
- Must have a steady income and be able to pay mortgage
(no downpayment required and mortgage is interest free)
- Must agree to partner with Habitat which means
cooperating with Habitat throughout the selection process and doing volunteer
work for Habitat which we call sweat equity.
- NEW: Guideline for seasonal
income and EI.
A family whose employment is seasonal and who then qualifies to collect
Employment Insurance shall be considered for home ownership if they have
a history of seasonal work and EI eligibility for 3 - 5 years depending
on other indications of stability, such as continued residency in the area
and reasons for change of employer.
What does Habitat expect of Partner Families?
- To complete 500 hours of sweat equity for a family,
before moving into your house.
- To help publicize your house before and after it is
built. Publicity is important because it helps bring in new volunteers and
money for more Habitat houses so more families can be helped.
- To attend educational seminars arranged for new home
owners related to budgeting, home maintenance and repairs.
- To continue to support Habitat through working as
a volunteer and speaking positively about how Habitat has helped your family.
- To make regular monthly payments on your mortgage.
- To disclose your income to Habitat on an annual basis.
- To maintain your home in good repair.
What will you gain from this experience?
- You will have the satisfaction of buying a home of
your own.
- You will have an interest-free mortgage that costs
much less than a traditional bank mortgage.
- You will develop maintenance skills learned through
your sweat equity.
- You will have pride in helping other families by contributing
sweat equity on other homes during/or after your build.
- You will get a sense of community from working with
other volunteers.
Eleven Steps to Becoming a Habitat Family
- You must attend an information meeting. You can receive
an application form at the meeting and members of the Family Selection committee
will be available to assist with the completion of the application.
- You must submit your completed application to the
Prince Edward-Hastings Habitat for Humanity address by the date specified.
- The Family Selection Committee will review applications
when received.
- The Committee will decide which families are qualified
for the next step which is a home visit from committee members.
- All family members must be available for a home visit
from members of the Family Selection Committee.
- Once all of the eligible families have been visited
and the references received, the Family Selection Committee will evaluate
them.
- The Committee will recommend one family plus a back
up family to the Habitat Board of Directors.
- The selected family will be notified of their selection
at which time they will be asked to sign a Partnership Agreement and to
begin their sweat equity.
- Families who are not selected are also notified. If
not selected, you may re-apply in the future, but must attend an information
session again to do so.
- A member of the Family Partnering Committee will help
the family keep track of their sweat equity and be sure there is sufficient
opportunity to complete their sweat equity and answer any questions they
may have.
- Once the house and the sweat equity are completed
the selected family will be allowed to move in. Prior to the move, an Offer
to Purchase and Sale is signed.
Note: From the time a family is selected to the time
they occupy their new home can take several months.
For more information please call the Habitat number (613)
969-1415 or e-mail us at ED@habitatpeh.org
and leave your name and phone number, asking for an application form. A member
of the Family Selection Committee will call you. The application process once
started takes several months to complete.
