Looking for an affordable opportunity to put your family in your own home?
Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County is now searching for their next partner family and has begun accepting applications for the fourth house to be built. The location of the next home is on Hayes Street in Smithville.
An Informational Meeting and Application Fair will be held on Tuesday, March 29th at 6 p.m. in the basement of the DeKalb County Courthouse in downtown Smithville. During the meeting, families will receive help in completing the application and will be given information about the Habitat Program.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, you may call the Habitat phone number 615-215-8181 and leave your name, address and phone number and a Habitat volunteer will contact you to provide additional information and perhaps mail an application to you.
To be considered, completed and signed applications must be postmarked by Thursday, April 21, 2011.
The purpose of Habitat is to build homes with families and sell the houses at no profit and no interest to families who could not otherwise afford a house. This Christian ministry is financed through private donations and utilizes volunteer labor and donated materials, if possible.
Habitat guidelines are basically 3 major qualifications: need for housing, ability to pay and a willingness to partner. In addition, partner families must have been a resident of DeKalb County for at least 1 year prior to March 2011 and must be a US citizen or have permanent resident alien status.
A Family Selection Committee will consider applications, based on those major qualifications as well as some other general guidelines as follows:
“Must have a housing need: For example, no indoor plumbing, poor heating, leaks in the roof, overcrowding ( 3 to a bedroom), unsafe or unsanitary conditions
“Ability to Pay
“For a family of 4, the maximum allowable annual income is $25,520, which is 55% of the median income for families in our community. If you are age 60 or have a special needs household member, the maximum allowable annual income level for a family of 4 is $27,840. The income levels vary according to family size. You may get detailed information specific to your family at the informational meeting on March 29.
“With your permission, we will verify employment and other income, verify checking and savings account balances, get a statement from your current landlord, have a credit check completed and and a criminal background check.
“Willingness to Partner
“If approved for a Habitat house, we will ask that you be willing to join in programs to learn and practice budgeting, home repair and home maintenance.
“If approved for a Habitat house, we require that all adult household members ( 18 years and older) be willing to work a combined total of 500 hours of “sweat equity”, with 100 of those hours completed before construction. Children who are members of the household may help with “sweat equity” by improving their grades in school and having good attendance at school.
Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County is very anxious to help another family have their dream of home ownership become a reality.
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