Habitat for Humanity partners with people in your community, to help them build a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. With support from the community, Habitat homeowners achieve the strength, stability, and independence they need to build a better life for themselves and for their families.
Future Habitat Homeowners and construction volunteers build under trained supervision and contribute thousands of hours of labor to further reduce home building costs. Individuals, corporations, faith groups, and others provide donations that make up the vital financial support needed to build these homes.
Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Indiana offers low-income families the opportunity to own a home. Becoming a Habitat homeowner requires commitment, responsibility and deep involvement.
In order to partner with us, you must meet the following preliminary criteria:
- You must be a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States.
- Your yearly income must fall within our income guidelines, which are adjusted for family size (refer to the Income Table on the Selection Criteria page). Income includes wages, Social Security retirement income, Social Security disability income, and child support that will continue for at least three years.
- You must have two year continuous employment history.
- You must have a reasonably good credit history. Your credit report must not show any judgement, collections, bankruptcies or foreclosures.
- You must have a housing need because your current rental housing is unaffordable, unsafe, or overcrowded.
- You must partner with Habitat for Humanity and contribute "sweat equity," helping to build your home as well as other families' homes and attend a minimum of 10 educational workshops. All families must complete a total of 300 "sweat equity" volunteer hours.
