How Can I Apply For A Habitat House? FAMILY SELECTION CRITERIA - Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Montana To be eligible to apply for a Habitat home, the applicant must meet three tests: NEED, ABILITY TO PAY, and WILLINGNESS TO PARTNER with Habitat. Each criteria is explained below. NEED The applicant must be lacking housing (meeting one of the following criteria): 1) The applicant lives in substandard housing. 2) The applicant lives in pre-1976 mobile home. 3) The applicant pays more than 30 percent of household income for housing (includes rent and utilities). 4) The applicant is homeless or lives in a condemned structure. The applicant must meet income guidelines. The following are maximum household incomes for various family sizes by county: Number of Persons in Household  County  1  2 3 4 5 6 7 8  Beaverhead 13250 15100 17000 18900  20400 21900 23450 24950  Broadwater 13250 15100 17000 18900  20400 21900 23450 24950  Granite 13250 15100 17000 18900  20400 21900 23450 24950  Madison 13250 15100 17000 18900  20400 21900 23450 24950  Powell 13250 15100 17000 18900  20400 21900 23450 24950  Silver Bow 14300 16300 18350 20400  22050 23650 25300 26950 Total family income includes public assistance such as food stamps, child support, alimony, earnings and wages. ABILITY TO PAY The family must have adequate income to make mortgage payments along with any current debts. The applicant must have gross income of at least 25 percent (or half the number in the table above). The total mortgage, taxes, insurance and all debt should not be greater than 36 percent of total income. The applicant must have a satisfactory credit history and credit references. All financial judgments against the applicant must be cleared prior to closing on the Habitat home. Payments on bad debts must begin immediately upon signing of the letter of acceptance. WILLINGNESS TO PARTNER Each applicant must be willing to put in sweat equity hours, totaling 250 hours per adult in the household (500 for a married couple). The hours must be put in prior to closing, and can include hours volunteered by relatives or friends. In addition, each applicant must attend a 12-hour course on homeownership. If you believe that you qualify and you would like to apply or event to ask more questions about the process, call or write to us today: Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Montana 944 S. Wyoming Street Butte, MT 59701 (406)782-8579 (406)782-5168 (fax)

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