Homeownership

homeownership

Thank you for your interest in affordable home ownership.

Due to the waiting list of qualified applicants waiting for a home, we will not be taking applications in 2024.

Please check back with us in 2025!

how do I qualify

1. Need for Better Housing:

Need for Better Housing can mean, but is not limited to:

  • structural problems, plumbing problems, roofing problems
  • extremely high rent (more than 30% of your income) or extremely high utility bills
  • unsafe area for children
  • too many people in a small home

2. Ability to Pay

  • Habitat homes are sold with an affordable mortgage.
  • The Table below shows the Lee County, MS 2021 HUD income limits. We select families between 35% and 60% of median annual income.
  • We want to make sure families are able to make their house payments.
Household
Size
Median Income1 Person2 People3 People4 People5 People6 People7 People8 People
60%$30,198$34,512$38,826$43,140$46,591$50,042$53,494$56,945
50%$25,165$28,760$32,355$35,950$38,826$41,702$44,578$47,454
40%$20,132$23,008$25,884$28,760$31,061$33,362$35,662$37,963
35%$17,616$20,132$22,649$25,165$27,178$29,191$31,205$33,278

3. Willingness to Partner

  • If you are selected for a Habitat home, you must put in a total of 300 sweat equity hours.
  • Sweat equity hours are earned volunteering on construction for other partner families’ homes.
  • Sweat equity hours can also be earned through other volunteer opportunities.
  • If selected, you must also complete homeowner education courses.

important facts

  • Only a few families each year will be selected for Habitat homeownership.
  • The Habitat process takes a while. It usually takes Habitat partners from 1-2 years to earn sweat equity hours and begin construction on new homes.