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looking to own a home?

Habitat provides you with the coaching, education and support to be successful in your homebuying journey.

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We can help you buy a home you love with a mortgage you can afford. Your options may include buying a home built or rehabbed by Habitat.

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Habitat for Humanity of Grant County believes that all hard-working individuals and families should have access to a home where the family can grow and prosper. In this belief, we are committed to partnering with families to build simple, decent, and affordable housing.

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Are you eligible?

Habitat for Humanity has three requirements to becoming a Habitat homeowner:

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  1. ​Ability to Pay

  2. Need for Housing

  3. Willingness to Partner

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What is the process?

Habitat for Humanity has three requirements to becoming a Habitat homeowner:

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  1. ​Ability to Pay

  2. Need for Housing

  3. Willingness to Partner

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Learn More

FAQs

Still have questions? Check out or FAQ section.

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I think I'm ready to apply

Sign up to receive notifications about our application period below:

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Not ready?

Work with one of our referral partners to assist with immediate housing needs or to prepare for Habitat homeownership:

Eligibility

Program Eligibility

Habitat for Humanity of Grant County has three central requirements to be eligible for our program.

1. Ability to Pay

Because Habitat for Humanity offers a “hand up, not a hand out,” homeowners must be able to afford to make monthly mortgage payments on their homes. This payment includes the mortgage, real estate taxes, and homeowner's insurance payments. Habitat for Humanity of Grant County will help you determine if you are able to afford a home.

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The ability to pay will be determined by the following:

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  • Borrower must meet Area Median Income (AMI) restrictions determined by family size.  See table below.

  • Consistent two years income, including but not limited to, employment income, social security/disability income, self-employment income, child support, TANF, public assistance income, etc.

  • Your income should be documentable and confirmable. 

    • You can check here to see what types of documentation we may ask you for.

  • Assets will be considered

  • Borrowers are required to make a 1% down-payment at closing**

  • Borrowers are required to pay a portion of closing costs**

  • Debt-to-income ratio

  • Credit (no minimum score required, however a review of a tri-merged credit report will help to determine payment history and current outstanding debts)

    • Bankruptcy's must have been discharged for a minimum of 1 year. ​

    • Judgements must be paid in full, special consideration given to medical judgements/collections

  • All Habitat for Humanity of Grant County home's purchases prices are determined using the Fair Market Value of the home which is determined by a third party.  In most all cases this is determined by the appraisal of the home once complete.

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**Down-payment and closing costs assistance subsidies and grants are sometimes available for Habitat partner families.  It is the responsibility of the family to research and apply for any assistance subsidies and grants.

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Nonproselytizing Policy:

Habitat for Humanity of Grant County is an Equal Housing Lender

Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliated organizations (Habitat for Humanity) will not proselytize, nor will Habitat for Humanity work with entities or individuals who insist on proselytizing as part of their work with Habitat for Humanity. This means that Habitat for Humanity will not offer assistance on the expressed or implied condition that people must (i) adhere to or convert to a particular faith or (ii) listen and respond to messaging designed to induce conversion to a particular faith.

Habitat for humanity income guidelines

Habitat for Humanity of Grant County (HFHGC) annually updates our Homeownership Program income requirements based on area market conditions and the Housing and Urban Development determination of the AMI.  Special consideration is given to families within the 30-60% AMI, but HFHGC will accept families up to 80% of the AMI in some cases. We reserve the right to revise these guidelines at any time.

Family Size

Minimum Yearly Gross Income

Maximum Yearly Gross Income

1

$14,050

$37,450

2

$16,050

$42,800

3

$18,050

$48,150

4

$20,050

$53,450

5

$21,700

$57,750

6

$23,300

$62,050

7

$24,900

$66,300

8

$26,500

$70,600

**For a family size larger than 8, contact us.

2. Need for Housing

You must have a need for housing. You will be considered in need of housing if your present housing is not adequate and if you are unable to obtain adequate housing through other conventional means.

 

Examples of inadequate housing can include:

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  • Serious health challenges:[1]

    • Carbon monoxide.

    • Pest infestation.

    • Presence of lead, mold, radon.

    • Allergens for those affected.

  • Substandard housing:[2]

    • Is dilapidated.

    • Does not have operable indoor plumbing.

    • Does not have a usable flush toilet inside the unit for the exclusive use of a household.

    • Does not have a usable bathtub or shower inside the unit for the exclusive use of a household.

    • Does not have electricity, or has inadequate or unsafe electrical service.

    • Does not have a safe or adequate source of heat.

    • Should, but does not, have a kitchen.

    • Has been declared unfit for habitation by an agency or unit of government.

  • Overcrowded:[3] (4Hii)

    • More than two people per bedroom.

    • Alternate definitions use for overcrowding are available from the Census Bureau.

  • Cost-burden: (4Hiii)

    • When an applicant pays over 30 percent of their gross income for housing (including utilities) because of the lack of more affordable housing, it can be determined that there is a housing need or a need for housing that is more affordable.

    • Government-subsidized housing:

    • Habitat has often used occupancy in government-subsidized housing as a definition of need. Although the conditions may be adequate, there are families who are not in a position to purchase a Habitat home but who could take advantage of this limited resource if an eligible family moved on. Local availability and need should be considered before adding this requirement.

  • Homelessness:[4]

    • Lacking a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.

    • Having a primary nighttime residence that is a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters and transitional housing).

    • Having a primary nighttime residence that is an institution that provides a temporary residence for people intended to be institutionalized.

    • Having a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.

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[1] These health issues are provided by HUD.

[2] HUD provides this definition of substandard housing.

[3] Census Bureau definition

[4] HUD definition of homeless

3. Willingness to Partner

Once you have been selected to receive a home, you will become a “partner family.” This partnership is a unique characteristic of Habitat for Humanity because it fosters cooperation and feelings of pride, ownership, and responsibility. In order to partner with Habitat, each adult family member in a household is responsible for completing 200 volunteer hours with Habitat for Humanity of Grant County. This “sweat equity” requirement can be completed during site construction on current homes, in the Habitat office, or at other local nonprofit organizations. Additionally, each partner family is expected to be cooperative and responsive when working with Habitat and to work in a spirit of understanding and open communication.

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A willingness to partner most times looks like:

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  • Giving Habitat for Humanity of Grant County permission to pull a Criminal Background & Sex Offender check.

    • Habitat, in its sole discretion, will make an individualized inquiry to determine if the information on the report is related to the position and consistent with Habitat’s business necessity, and may consider several factors, including, without limitation, one or more of the following: 

      • Nature of the conviction and whether children were involved. 

      • Time elapsed since the offense. 

      • Extent to which the offense may affect the person’s fitness. 

  • Speaking with the media about your Habitat project and experience

  • Completing your sweat equity hours in a timely manner.  Hours are typically accomplished with the following:

    • Financial Education Courses (online and in person)​

    • Construction on your new home, or other Habitat projects as you are able

    • Homeownership counseling with community partners

    • Nutrition, "Being a Good Neighbor," and any other related courses as assigned by the Habitat affiliate

  • Staying in regular communication with the Habitat affiliate and any committee volunteers

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Process

Selection Process

Habitat for Humanity of Grant County strives to accept applications only during open application periods which are widely shared on our website, on our social media accounts, on our partners social media accounts, to our lists of subscribers, with local news sources, with corporations HR departments, and several other ways.

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The best way to guarantee you receive a notification that our application period is open is to fill out this form, or to call the office (765.662.1552) and have your name added to our application interest database.

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**HFH of Grant County builds 1-2 homes a year which is why this application period is limited.  We do not want to pull your credit unnecessarily if we do not have a current project available.

During open application periods, the process for applying for a Habitat home is as follows:

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  1. You must attend an information session to obtain a Credit & Background Check form.  These can be held in person, or virtually where necessary.  We can make accommodations for any individuals to meet this requirement if you have special circumstances.  Childcare is provided during in-person sessions.

  2. Once you obtain a Credit & Background Check (CBC) form, you must return it to us within 30 days.

  3. When we receive the CBC we will process it within 30 days. 

    1. Once processed you will get a notification that you meet the basic requirements and we will request a formal Application be completed.  You will also receive a Notice of Incompleteness at this time which just means we don't have enough information right now to definitively say yes or no. 

    2. If you don't meet the requirements of our program after the CBC you will receive an Adverse Action Notice.

  4. Once we request a formal Application, you have 30 days to complete the Application and return all required documentation.  You can see what documents we will request from you here.

  5. No later than 30 days from the submission of your Application we will communicate one of the following scenarios with you:​​

    1. Notice of Incompleteness - this means we aren't sure if you qualify yet and we need more information either from you, or a third party. 

    2. Adverse Action - this means you do not qualify for our program right now.  We will tell you all the reasons why, and we will even connect you with our community partners to help you get more prepared next time we have an open application period.​

  6. Once we have all documentation needed from all active applicants in our Application Pool, our Family Selection Committee will meet to narrow down the list of applicants and make a recommendation of which families should have a Home Visit scheduled.  At this point you will receive one of the following:

    1. Notice of Incompleteness - this means we aren't sure if you qualify yet and we need more information either from you, or a third party. This includes time to schedule Home Visits.

    2. Adverse Action - this means you do not qualify for our program right now.  We will tell you all the reasons why, and we will even connect you with our community partners to help you get more prepared next time we have an open application period.​

  7. Once we have all Application and Home Visit information back our Family Selection committee will meet to select a final recommendation of a family to our Board of Directors.  You could receive another Notice of Incompleteness at this time so meetings can be scheduled.

  8. Once the recommendation for a family is made, our Board of Directors must approve this family to the Partnership Agreement phase of our program.  It is important to note, that you may meet all requirements of our program and still not be selected due to another family having a higher need of housing.  We will share this information with you, and we will encourage you to apply the next time we have an available project.

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Still have questions? Contact us.

FAQ

Program FAQs

  • What kind of interest rate do I pay on the mortgage?

    • Habitat for Humanity does not charge interest. All of your payments go toward paying off the loan principal, taxes, and insurance.

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  • How do I get started?

    • The first step is to attend an Information Session.  You can read more about the Selection Process here.

 

  • What kind of information is involved with the application?

    • You can see what kind of documents you will be required to provide here.

    • You will also be required to sign a Criminal & Sex Offender Background Check form for us to pull your background. 

      • Habitat, in its sole discretion, will make an individualized inquiry to determine if the information on the report is related to the position and consistent with Habitat’s business necessity, and may consider several factors, including, without limitation, one or more of the following: 

        • Nature of the conviction and whether children were involved. 

        • Time elapsed since the offense. 

        • Extent to which the offense may affect the person’s fitness.

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  • What happens after the application has been completed?

    • You can read the full Selection Process here.​

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  • Once I am accepted, how long will it take to get a house?

    • Before you can move into a Habitat house, you must complete your required hours of sweat equity. You can expect to wait about a year before your house is built.

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  • Do I have any choices about my house?

    • Yes, you do. Habitat for Humanity offers a variety of floor plans and home features from which you may choose. . In addition, we have building lots located throughout Grant County. We will advertise the location of our next build with the details of the Information Session to obtain the application.

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  • What if I already own land?

    • If the land is an acceptable building site, we will ask you to sign the land over to Habitat for Humanity. We will then build on your land and include the cost of the land as part of your financial contribution to the build. This will reduce the amount that you have to pay. Once the mortgage is paid off in full, you will own the house and the land.

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  • Does it matter if I don’t live in Grant County?

    • Yes, it does. Preference is given to people who are already living and working in Grant County. There are Habitat for Humanity organizations in all of the surrounding counties, so you should apply to the organization in the county in which you live.

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  • What if I need or want to sell my house?

    • We want to build homes for people to live in and have safeguards against those who would attempt to sell a home to make a profit. We do have guidelines for the ethical sale of a home. These details will be discussed during your orientation

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  • My living situation is really bad, and I need help, but I don’t have enough money to qualify. How can you help me?

    • Habitat for Humanity of Grant County is not a housing solution if you have an immediate need such as pending eviction, dangerously unsafe/unstable living conditions, and homelessness.  If you don’t meet our requirements and need immediate assistance, we can connect you with a government or social organization, which could help. Here would be some options:

      • You can find some of our community partners here,

      • The Community Foundation of Grant County has also put together a very helpful resource here

      • Finally, you can dial 211 on your phone or visit https://in211.communityos.org/ and someone will assist you.

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Still have questions? Contact us.

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