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Frequently Asked Questions Click
on the sentences to find answers to frequently
asked questions.
- How
can I volunteer?
- How
are families selected?
- When did Habitat for Humanity get started?
- How do Habitat houses get built?
- Do people rent Habitat for Humanity houses?
- Does Habitat give away houses?
- What is done with the money paid to Habitat
through the partner families' mortgages?
- Is this a government program?
How
can I volunteer?
Volunteers are always needed, both for the build and
planning. If you would
like to join the team, please contact
us! Back
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How
are families selected?
Families are selected for each build; a waiting list is not maintained.
Once Habitat makes a commitment to build or rehabilitate a house, the Family
Selection
Team
goes
to
work. Months
before the first nail is pounded, publicity
about the house and a search for a family begins. The team selects a date and
location for a public information meeting. Flyers advertising the meeting are
distributed throughout the community and press releases are submitted to local
newspapers and radio stations. We serve the area bounded on the north by Perris
and Lake Elsinore, and the San Diego county line on the south only.
At
the public information meeting, families hear
how the program works and start the application
process. Because of the number of families
interested, program applicants are required
to attend the initial meeting, and all subsequent
meetings that follow.
The
entire screening process can take as long as
six months to a year and involves filling out
applications that require complete information
on credit
and finances; employment history; plus letters
of recommendation from employers, landlords,
and others. Home visits are also conducted
by members of the Family Selection Team.
When
selecting partner families, Habitat for Humanity
does not discriminate on the basis of race,
sex, color, age, handicap, religion, national
origin, family status or marital status, or
because all or part of income is derived from
any public assistance program.
Three
basic guidelines are used to select Habitat partner families:
1. Need for adequate shelter.
Families are considered for Habitat houses if their present housing is not
adequate, and if adequate housing cannot be obtained through other conventional
means. Lack of adequate housing might include overcrowded conditions because
of family size. Taken into consideration are the number, ages, and gender of
children, compared to the number of bedrooms in the family’s
current home. Other factors that determine need
are the percentage of monthly income that is currently
spent on housing and problems with the present
housing such as structure, water, electrical or
sewage service systems, heating system, or failure
to meet city property maintenance standards.
2. Ability to pay.
Since partner families actually
buy houses from Habitat, they must demonstrate
their ability to pay monthly mortgage
payments. Credit history is taken into
consideration. And, the total family income must
fall within
a low-income range that is
determined by using HUD guidelines, with
appropriate adjustments for the community.
Families are
also required to make a $1,000
down payment on the house.
3. Willingness to partner.
When selected, families
become “partners” in
the Habitat movement. Each family is required
to complete 500 hours of volunteer work on
their own or other Habitat houses. These
volunteer
hours are called “sweat equity” and
must be completed before the family moves
into their new
home. Partner
families must also be willing to participate
in various Habitat training
programs
such as
household budgeting, home maintenance,
and family concerns. Habitat maintains
an ongoing relationship with its homeowners,
many of whom
act as mentors to new partners.
Back
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When
did Habitat for Humanity get started?
Habitat
for Humanity International was officially organized in
1976 to focus on building houses for those in need throughout the
United
States
and developing
countries.
Its goal was to eliminate poverty housing worldwide. Prior to 1976,
its founders, Millard and Linda Fuller, had already participated
in building several houses for people in need in rural southwest
Georgia.
Back
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How
do Habitat houses get built?
Habitat houses are built through volunteer labor, and donations of
money and materials. Back
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Do
people rent Habitat for Humanity houses?
No. Habitat "homeowner families" are just that - owners of thier
own homes. Back
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Does
Habitat give away houses?
No. Habitat houses are sold to selected partner families. Each family
is required to make a low down payment and then continue making mortgage
payments for the duration of the loan. The houses are kept affordable
because no interest is charged and Habitat does not make a profit. In
addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments,
homeowners invest
hundreds of hours of their own labor—sweat equity—into
building their Habitat house and the houses of others. Back
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What
is done with the money paid to Habitat through the partner families'
mortgages?
The mortgage payments received by Habitat are used to help build
more local Habitat houses.
Back
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Is
this a government program?
Habitat for Humanity is not a government agency and it does not accept
government funds for construction of houses. Habitat does, however,
welcome partnerships with governments to "set the stage" for the
construction of houses. Such stage-setting funding and gifts might
include land, donation of houses for rehabilitation, infrastructure
for streets, utilities, and administrative expenses. Back
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