DeKalb County Habitat for Humanity is now accepting applications for the next house to be constructed this year.
An Informational Meeting and Application Fair will be Tuesday, April 18 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Smithville First United Methodist Church Christian Fellowship Center next door to Love-Cantrell Funeral Home near downtown. During that 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 at 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 Wednesday, May 3.
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 a least 1 year prior to April 15, 2017 and they must be a U.S. 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, poor heating, leaks in the roof, overcrowding (3 to a bedroom), unsafe or unsanitary conditions or lack of adequate water or plumbing.
*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 a household member is age 60 or older, or if there is 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 April 18. With your permission, they 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 a criminal background check.
*Willingness to partner: If approved for a Habitat house, they will ask that you be willing to join in programs to learn and practice budgeting, home repair and home maintenance. Family members will be given “sweat equity” credit for attending these sessions. Other opportunities will be provided to help families learn and earn the hours they need.
*If approved for a Habitat house, they 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. Friends and family may also help earn part of the “sweat equity”
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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