habitat home ownership benefits & eligibility

With the help of sponsors, donors, volunteers, and community partners, we build homes in family-friendly communities and sell them to qualifying homeowners. Habitat requires the homeowner to volunteer 500 hours, but there is no down-payment for the home. Each homeowner has affordable monthly payments that bring stability to their housing situation.

Why Habitat Home Ownership?

There are several benefits to Habitat home ownership:

• No cash down payment is required.
• Mortgage payments are based on 50% of the appraised value of the house. For example, if a Habitat home is appraised at $300,000, the homeowner’s first mortgage is based on $150,000. Habitat holds the second mortgage interest-free for 20 years. The first mortgage will have an interest component.
• Please note that the first mortgage will be held and administered by one of our financial partners, Servus Credit Union.
  
• Homeowners payments will not fluctuate over the course of each term.
• Homeowners gain access to shared market appreciation on their home upon graduating from Habitat home ownership.

Am I eligible?

Do you want to own your own home? Habitat home ownership may be for you. We sell homes to families who qualify with our mortgage partner, and who meet the following criteria:

• Be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada.
• Be employed on a full-time, permanent basis.
• Have an annual gross household income of $45,000 – $75,000 (as determined by Habitat).
• Maintain a good credit rating (no bankruptcy, credit card payments are up-to-date, etc.).
• Agree to volunteer 500 hours with Habitat.
• You acknowledge that you will be paying interest (to Habitat’s financial partner) on the mortgage.