Criteria

How we select our Family Partners

Habitat for Humanity is for people who need a better place to live and are willing and able to take on the responsibility of homeownership. Habitat is a hand up, not a hand-out.

Homeowner applications are reviewed by the Family Selection committee, and the selection criteria does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, age, handicap, religion, national origin, family status or marital status, or because all or part of income is derived from any public assistance program.

Three things are required to own a Habitat for Humanity home:

1. Need — We look for families who are living in inadequate housing and who don’t have the financial resources to buy a home without some help.
2. Ability to Pay — We look for families who have a stable income, either from employment or from other legitimate sources, who have an acceptable credit history, and who don’t have excessive debt. Habitat families have incomes that are between 30% and 60% of the HUD median income guidelines for the Lawrence area, adjusted for family size.
3. Willingness to Partner — We look for families who are willing to work hard to build their own home and help build homes for other Habitat families; who are responsible neighbors; and who have shown that they are financially responsible by making regular payments to landlords, utility companies, and other creditors. We select families who have made this area their permanent home, and who have lived and/or worked in Douglas or Jefferson Counties for at least one year.

Still need answers?  Check out our frequently asked questions for potential homeowners.

Many of our homeowners are referred to Habitat by the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority. The LDCHA has a ‘Homeownership Support Services Program,’ which is in place to encourage tenants to pursue homeownership and give them the support and education in how to accomplish this goal. The program includes a “matching-grant.” The grant will match up to $3,000 of a tenants savings that can go towards the down payment on a home.

Learn more about the program here.