You may be eligible for a Habitat home if you have been a resident of or have worked in Indian River County for the past year and you meet the 3 guidelines: need, ability to pay, and willingness to partner. Need
You will be considered for a Habitat home if your present housing is one of the following:
Inadequate – Lack of adequate housing may include problems with the present structure such as: Water; electrical or sewage service systems; heating system; hazardous; poorly maintained (substandard); or failure to meet city property maintenance standards.
Overcrowded – Also taken into consideration are the make up and size of your family compared to the number of bedrooms in your home.
Transitional- you are currently living with family member or a friend and you do not have your own place.
Government Subsidized – housing programs such as: Section 8, Low Rent Program.
Unaffordable – a percentage of your monthly income that you currently spend on housing is considered to determine need (more than 40% of my monthly income goes towards rent).
Also, if you are unable to obtain adequate housing through other conventional means.
Ability to Pay
You and your family will be considered for a NEW home if your total income is between 30% and 60% of the area median income for Indian River County as set by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This income is based on family size and is represented in this chart.
In order to qualify for a Habitat House, a family should have adequate income to cover utilities, maintenance expenses, as well as the house payments which include taxes & insurance. Please refer to income guidelines tab.
You will have to demonstrate the ability to pay a $400 to $500 per month interest-free mortgage which includes property taxes & property insurance.
In addition, you must:
Less than $2,000 in bad debt on your credit report.
Owe less than 30% of your gross annual income in total debt.
Pay your rent on time.
Had stable income for the last year.
Have not declared bankruptcy in the last 3 years.
Willingness to Partner
You must be willing to partner with Habitat and work 300 hours of “sweat equity” for a single adult household or 500 hours of “sweat equity” for a dual adult household.
You must attend the required homeowner classes as scheduled.
You will encourage other families to participate in the Habitat program.
You will be responsible for maintenance of your house from the time you move into your home.
You will be responsible for repaying the purchase cost of your home in a timely manner so that other families can benefit from the Habitat program
