Applying for a Home

How are partner families selected?

A family selection committee selects homeowners based on their level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program, and their ability to repay the mortgage loan. The family selection committee follows the laws set by the Equal Housing Opportunity and every affiliate follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection that neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing the families who receive Habitat homes.

Is owning a Habitat home right for you?

Habitat for Humanity provides a hand up, not a hand out, to hard-working families with low incomes who are willing to partner with Habitat as homeowners.

Habitat Homeowners:

• Earn a sufficient income to pay an affordable mortgage on their future home
• Strengthen the local community by paying property taxes and utilities in addition to spending disposable income locally
• Invest 350-500 "sweat equity" hours into building their own home, other future homeowner's homes, and participating in financial and home maintenance classes
• Work for local employers
• Are required to keep homes maintained and in good condition in accordance with the Habitat covenants
• May not rent their homes to encourage safer, owner-occupied neighborhoods

The 3 criteria for becoming a Habitat Homeowner are need, ability to pay, and a willingness to partner.

Eligible applicants must:

• Be citizens or legal residents of the U.S. 
• Must live or work in our territory* (Southern Kane County) for one year prior to applying
• Have a need for affordable housing due to unsafe living conditions, overcrowding, accessibility issues, or rent higher than 30% of income
• Ability to pay a mortgage by earning a stable income that falls within Habitat's income guidelines (guideline below)
• Have good credit with consistent payment history
• Not have bankruptcies in the past 3 years
• Work 350-500 "sweat equity" hours (hours have no monetary value towards the purchase of a home)
• Be willing share your story, speak with the media and churches, help at fundraising events, and share pictures of family on social media
• Take financial and homeowner maintenance classes
• Be willing to enter into a 30 year partnership with Fox Valley Habitat and adhere to covenant restrictions in all mortgage documents

What you would be responsible for as a homeowner:  

BASED ON HUD AREA MEDIAN INCOME OF $84,600

Household income based on the number of people living in the household. Income ranges are from HUD and change annually.

• If you have 2 or more incomes, add the 2 incomes to get a total for your family
• If you receive other income, such as Social Security, documented child support (court ordered), disability, or retirement, please add to get a total income for your household size

*Our territory (Southern Kane County) for applicants is from Route 38 South to Route 71 and Route 59 West to Somonauk Road.