Homeownership

qualifications

Need for Housing

Live in overcrowded housing
Live in substandard housing
Pay more than 30% of gross income on rent
Live in an unsafe and/or unsanitary neighborhood

Willingness to Partner

Perform up to 250 hours of “sweat equity” which includes helping to build homes
Complete pre- and post-purchase programs which include financial counseling

Ability to Pay

Meet minimum annual household gross income requirement for family size
Have a satisfactory credit score
Be able to afford monthly mortgage payments, including escrow and insurance

other requirements

Be a US Citizen or have permanent residency status
Have one year of continuous employment

FREE Virtual Homeownership Fair

Join us Saturday, February 27 to learn the basics of what you need to do to become a Houston Habitat Homeowner in 2021!

Sessions include Mortgages 101, building credit, and down payment assistance programs.

Learn More

Houston Habitat offers Equal Opportunities

Houston Habitat for Humanity is an equal opportunity builder and complies with The Federal Fair Housing Act in the marketing, sale, and purchasing of properties.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for home ownership without regard to Race, Color, Religion, National Origin, Sex, Disability and Familial Status.

getting started

The application is available to download below. To get started, fill that out and attend an information meeting at Houston Habitat.

Download Application

see steps to becoming a homeowner

Step 01

Find out more about our program

Attend an Information Session to learn more about our program. Sign up here.

Step 02

Apply

Obtain an application packet, fill it out carefully and return it to Houston Habitat with all required documentation:

1. Completed Application (Signed/Dated by all applicants)
2. Copy of State ID/ Driver’s License, Social Security Card, Birth Certificate OR Permanent Residency Card, for each person in the household
3. (2) months of current pay stubs for each person in the household employed 18 or older
4. Last (2) years of Tax Returns (1040) for each person 18 or older in the household; 3 years if self-employed
5. Last (2) years W-2 for each person 18 or older in the household
6. Most recent (2) Months Bank Statements (all Pages, including blank pages) for all checking/savings accounts for each applicant
7. Supplemental income documentation (Child support/Alimony, SSI Award Letter, Disability, SNAP, TANF) etc.
8. Verification of Employment from your employer(s) including (Date of hire, Hours worked per week, hourly wages)
9. Most recent (2) month Utility/ Credit Card statements (Electric, Gas, Water, Cable, Home Phone/Cell Phone)
10. Residential Lease (if applicable)
11. Divorce Decree (if applicable)
12. Credit report
13. Any additional Documents that you believe will be useful for your application

Step 03

Verify Qualifications

Houston Habitat verifies the information in your application, including your background, employment history, and rental history.

Step 04

Acceptance into Homebuyer Program

Houston Habitat will notify you if you have been accepted into the Homebuyer Program. You can then begin training, which includes attending mandatory homeownership classes and completing the required number of Sweat Equity hours.

Questions

The application process takes roughly 6-8 months. The sweat equity requirement takes 12-18 months. It generally takes about 1.5 to 2 years to complete the entire process, from the date of the application to the house closing.

If applicants do not meet Houston Habitat for Humanity’s criteria for homeownership and are not selected into the program, they will receive a letter with a description of the reason and a list of HUD approved Financial Counselors or a referral to another qualified organization.

There is no limit to how many times an individual can apply for a Habitat home, so we encourage applicants who do not make it the first or second time to reapply!

Absolutely. For questions or concerns regarding the application process, please call (713) 671-9993 or email Info@houstonhabitat.org.