Home Ownership
Who’s eligible for a Habitat Home?: Habitat partners with individuals and families who have income and with the help of our team can become mortgage qualified. We work with Windham Windsor Housing Trust to help families with financial education and qualifying for the lowest interest rates possible to make a Habitat for Humanity home more affordable than a traditional home purchase, however mortgage readiness (income and credit) are necessary. Please read our Homeownership Guide and Eligibility Guidelines to learn about the application and homebuying process:
To be notified when we are accepting applications in the future for our Weathersfield, VT project fill out this form. This will add you to the list for our newsletter where we will announce future projects and application opportunities.
eligibility guidelines:
Habitat partner families are selected by our Family Committee through a careful application review and interview process. Please realize that the application process may take four months or longer from date of submission to final approval.
If you are unsure about your eligibility for a Habitat home, please call or email us with your questions.
Upper Valley Habitat will review your application using the following criteria:
You must demonstrate a need for an Upper Valley Habitat home, including:
Your current housing situation is inadequate and substandard (overcrowded or unsafe).
You are living with family or friends, or in temporary housing.
You are cost-burdened: Rent is more than 30% of the household’s monthly income.
The living conditions are inadequate for a person living with disabilities.
You are unable to access conventional bank financing.
Your total family income must be between 50% and 80% of HUD County Median Family Income (adjusted for the size of the family) for the community/county that you will be moving into. Eligibility based on AMI will vary by house location. See the table below for further detail.
You commit to paying a mortgage on the new home.
You agree to provide “sweat equity” hours into building the home (including financial and home ownership education classes). In the case of a disability or other extenuating circumstances, we will do our best to make special arrangements to accommodate your needs.
You must be a resident of the Upper Valley for at least one year prior to applying.
You need to have reliable and verifiable income. This includes wages, pensions, disability, TANF, SSI, child support, but does not include any form of vouchers or vendor payments such as food stamps, fuel assistance, or similar programs. You must be at your current employer for at least one year, although we will consider extenuating circumstances.
Once you are fully approved, we require a $1,000 down payment to secure your commitment for an Upper Valley Habitat home. You will also need to demonstrate that you can save sufficient funds for closing costs when you take possession of your new home, typically between $3,000 to $5,000. We will help support you in this.
You agree to a sustainable commitment to responsible home ownership, and to an on-going partnership with Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity.
