Apply for a Home

Our impact is only as strong as the partnerships we forge with our homeowners. And in order for our Home Build Program to be successful, we need to ensure that our homeowners are a good fit. For this reason, our Homeowner Selection Process is quite rigorous. When selecting a potential homeowner, we consider the family’s level of need, their willingness to partner and their ability to pay their interest-free and geared-to-income mortgage.

In order to meet our basic requirements, potential Habitat homeowners must meet the following set of criteria:

  • Live in inadequate, overcrowded or unsafe housing
  • Has a steady and minimum income of $35,000 per year (income from Ontario Works, Child Tax Benefits or other temporary sources of income do not qualify).
  • Total family income must be below Household Income Limit (HILS) Schedule 2 for the region
  • Does not qualify for a conventional mortgage
  • Must demonstrate a willingness to contribute 500 volunteer hours
  • Must demonstrate a willingness to participate in Habitat events and publicity opportunities
  • Carries a minimal debt load
  • Posses a decent credit score with a credit repayment history
  • Preference will be give to applicants with young children
  • Must be willing to provide references from several sources
  • Must demonstrate a willingness to participate in Habitat events and publicity opportunities

Potential Habitat homeowners simply don’t have the resources to save for the down payment of a home. In replacement of a down payment, a potential homeowner must express a willingness to contribute 500 hours of volunteer service. Once confirmed as a homeowner—by our Homeowners Manager and Board of Directors—the selected homeowner must complete 500 hours of volunteer support before becoming eligible to move into a Habitat home. In return, their lives are transformed by the positive experience of working with their community and by the many benefits associated with homeownership.

If you’ve reviewed our homeowner criteria and think you and your family might be eligible to become a Habitat Hamilton future homeowner, the we encourage you to fill and submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) form. An EOI is the first step towards becoming a future Habitat homeowner. Once submitted, Habitat Hamilton’s Homeowner Department will review your submission to ensure that it meets our minimum requirements.

Once we develop plans for a new home build, our Homeowner Department will invite all EOI applicants, who meet our minimum requirements for approval, the opportunity to submit a full application. Our full application helps our Homeowner Department further determine whether or not an applicant is the right fit for our Home Build Program. Shortlisted applicants may be invited for an in-person interview to determine our final selection. All Habitat homeowner selections are reviewed and approved by our Board of Directors.

If you would like to receive more information and updates about our application status, please subscribe to our quarterly e-newsletter.

For more information about our Homeowner Selection Process, EOI’s and our application status, please contact Kathryn Fair, Manager of Homeowners and Volunteers, at kathryn@habitathamilton.ca or by telephone at 905-560-6707 ext. 102.