Selection Criteria

1.  Need

In order to be eligible to apply for a Habitat home, you must have one or more of the following housing needs in your current living arrangements:

• Your shelter is inadequate shelter because of problems with heating, water supply, structural safety, overcrowding, etc.
• Your monthly housing payment is more than 30% of your monthly income.
• The neighborhood you live in is unsafe.

2.  Ability to Pay

Homeowners buy their homes with a no-interest, no-profit loan from Habitat. Habitat collects monthly payments from homeowners and uses that money to help build new homes. In order to be eligible to apply for Habitat home, you must be able to pay for the home.

• Stable, monthly income sufficient to meet routine expenses, maintain the house and make monthly mortgage payments.
• Income must be between 25-60% of the AMI for the area where the home is being built. Note that this number varies each year and with family size.
• Acceptable credit

Habitat serves familes who earn between 25-60% of the area median income for Eagle County.  2009 figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are used as general guidelines. For example:

3.  Willingness to Partner with Habitat

In order to be selected to purchase a Habitat home, you must be willing to partner with Habitat to help build your own home and homes for others. The work you put into your home and on other projects with Habitat is known as "Sweat Equity". You must show your willingness to partner by demonstrating timeliness, understanding, and eagerness of the partnership throughout the process. This includes:

• Completing 250 hours of sweat equity per adult before you move into your home

• 100 of the 250 hours can be completed by friends and family

• Participating in fundraisers and special events

• Attending required homeowner education classes

4.  Residency Status 

To qualify for the Habitat homeownership program, all applicants must be either citizens or permanent legal residents of the United States of America.

• Click here to view the 2010 Application, in English or in Spanish.

Fair Housing, Nondiscrimination Clause

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin.