Does my family qualify?
Requirements vary from development to development but all Habitat homeowners meet the following requirements.
- Need for housing
- Ability to pay
- Willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity East Bay
- Family size
Need for Housing: Selected families must demonstrate a need for adequate shelter. Some examples of this are overcrowded housing, dilapidated, instable or unsafe housing, or rental payments exceeding 30% of their household income.
Family Size |
Annual |
Monthly |
||
Minimum |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Maximum |
|
2 |
$27,560 |
$53,000 |
$2,297 |
$4,417 |
3 |
$31,000 |
$59,600 |
$2,583 |
$4,966 |
4 |
$34,440 |
$66,250 |
$2,870 |
$5,521 |
5 |
$37,200 |
$71,550 |
$3,100 |
$5,963 |
6 |
$39,960 |
$71,850 |
$3,330 |
$5,987 |
7 |
$42,720 |
$82,150 |
$3,560 |
$6,845 |
8 |
$45,480 |
$87,450 |
$3,790 |
$7,287 |
To calculate your income, we look at all income for every adult member (18 years or over) in the household and all sources of income (employment, social security, child support, etc.) Generally a family of 4 needs a gross income (before taxes) of at least $33,500 per year ($2,800 per month). Specific guidelines are available at application orientations for each project.
We partner with families who are in the position to be stable homeowners. For instance, applicants aren't expected to have perfect credit records, but families with high monthly debt bills may find it difficult to meet mortgage payments. If you are concerned about your credit history, we encourage you to contact Operation Hope for a free credit repair seminar by calling their Oakland office at (510) 535-6700. An important first step to good credit is knowing your current credit score (FICO). You can find free FICO calculators online through Bankrate or www.annualcreditreport.com. These websites will show you all of your open credit accounts to make sure you aren’t a victim of identity theft. The free report doesn’t give out credit scores, but it will show if you have any late payments on your record.
Willingness to Partner with Habitat for Humanity East Bay: HEB considers the homeowner families to be partners in the building process. As partners, each family must put in 500 hours of "sweat equity", mostly by working at our East Bay construction sites. A commitment to the sweat equity policy is the heart of the Habitat homeownership program. The work varies and construction experience is not necessary. Hours may also be earned by attending workshops or volunteering in the community, and a portion of the hours may be donated by friends and extended family.
500 hours means working about 40 hours per month for a year, and it will take dedication, and sometimes sacrifice, in order to reach this goal. But the experience is a rewarding one because it is an opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people as you help build your home and the homes of your future neighbors!
Additionally, families need to save money to pay for the cost of closing escrow (around $6,500-$7,500)). Selected families are given a 6-12 months to save for these closing costs and complete the sweat equity.
Family Size: Habitat East Bay builds 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes. Habitat East Bay follows federal and state fair housing guidelines to determine the size house a homeowner receives. The home size depends on the ages and number of people in their household.
- Parent(s) or adult(s) get their own bedroom (one room per couple if cohabitating).
- Children are expected to share a bedroom (one bedroom for every two children), unless (1) they are of opposite sex, or (2) they are five or more years apart in age.
Example 1: A mother and father are applying for a Habitat home with their three children: daughter, 19, son, 17 and daughter, 11. The family would be considered for a 4 bedroom home: the parents can share a room and the daughters are too far apart in age to share a room. Children of the opposite gender would never share a room.
Example 2: A mother and her adult sister are applying for a home with their three children: daughter, 17, daughter, 15, and son, 12. In this case the family would get a 4 bedroom home: each adult sister would have a private room.
