Habitat for Humanity East Bay

Qualifications

Although requirements vary from development to development, all Habitat East Bay homeowners demonstrate the following:

• Need for housing
• Consistent, low income
• 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.

Income and Finances

Generally speaking, Habitat partner families fall into the following  income ranges.  Please note these are estimates and actual amounts may vary depending on the jurisdiction in which the home exists. Please attend a homeownership orientation to get the official income guidelines.

Family Size	Annual		Monthly
	Minimum	Maximum	Minimum	Maximum
2	$28,920	$51,550	$2,410	$4,296
3	$32,520	$58,000	$2,710	$4,833
4	$36,120	$64,400	$3,010	$5,367
5	$39,040	$69,900	$3,253	$5,800
6	$41,920	$74,750	$3,493	$6,229
7	$44,800	$79,000	$3,733	$6,583
8	$47,680	$85,050	$3,973	$7,088

To calculate 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 Homeownership Application Orientations for each project.

Homeownership is a long-term commitment, so we partner with families with stable income and a consistent financial history. We evaluate an applicant’s credit history to evaluate their payment history and debt burden. If you are considering our program, please learn more about your credit report through free online services like Bankrate or www.annualcreditreport.com, or consider financial literacy workshops.

Willingness to Partner with Habitat

Habitat East Bay homeowner families are partners in the building process. As partners, each family must put in 500 hours of "sweat equity," primarily by working at an East Bay construction site. A commitment to the sweat equity policy is the heart of the Habitat homeownership program. The work varies and construction experience is not necessary. A portion of the 500 hours may be earned through leadership in community service work; friends and extended family may also contribute by volunteering on the construction site. 

500 hours of sweat equity 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.  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!

Partnership with Habitat extends beyond building homes. Part of the sweat equity commitment involves attending Leadership Training  and Homeowner Education workshops so that partner families have the skills to be successful homeowners, neighbors, and community leaders. After moving in, partner families are expected to remain active and engaged with Habitat’s mission by staying in good communication with Habitat and, of course, making timely mortgage payments so Habitat can build more houses! Many Habitat developments have Homeowners Associations or neighborhood groups that run on the efforts of partner families. It is expected that homeowners work with their neighbors to support healthy, safe and inspiring neighborhoods where partner families learn, grow and thrive together.

Family Size

Habitat East Bay builds 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes, and selects the families that will best fit in a Habitat home.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.

• Adult(s) and youth over twelve years old 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.