1. Need for improved housing
2. Willingness to partner with San Diego Habitat for Humanity
3. Ability to pay a monthly mortgage payment

1.) Call us at (619) 283-4663 ext 314 or email us at shaynah@sdhfh.org so we can send your family a letter explaining qualification guidelines.

2.) Come to an orientation about how to apply to the Habitat program. Orientation meetings are not regularly scheduled, but are planned only when San Diego Habitat for Humanity has a new project in development. Please check our website for information about the schedule and location of upcoming orientations. Applications can only be obtained at orientation meetings for that specific project.

Prospective applicants must attend an orientation to receive an application. The application must be returned to our office by the due date. Along with the application, we will need the following:

Pay stubs from each applicant for the past 2 months

Copies of the past two years' tax returns for each applicant

Copies of the past two years' W-2 forms for each applicant

Proof of legal residency status for each member of the family (birth certificate, naturalization document or green card)

A credit check fee of $12 for one applicant and $18 for two applicants is also required

3.) Family Selection Committee does an initial review of application based on income and credit requirements. Families who do not fall within income and/or credit guidelines are notified by mail.

4.) Families that do fall within income and/or credit guidelines will have a home visit scheduled. The home visit is used as a time to meet the family and assess the current residence.

5.) Based on selection criteria and information gained during the home visit, family selection committee decides which families should meet with the full committee at the SDHFH office. After meetings between families and committee occur, committee scores each family on objective criteria and recommends families (based on score) to the SDHFH Board of Directors for final approval.

6.) The Board of Directors makes the final decision on the placement of families.

7.) Families that are approved by the Board of Directors will sign the “Sweat Equity Policy” and “Letter of Understanding” and then can begin working on their “sweat equity” hours in order to meet the requirement by the time of closing

8.) Thirty days before the closing of title and signing of escrow documents, SDHFH shall review each family’s status: documented “sweat equity hours,” and current copies of their credit and income documents to verify that they still qualify for the home. Selection as a San Diego Habitat for Humanity partner family may be revoked if significant discrepancies are discovered. SDHFH may request as a condition to the purchase of the home that any delinquent debts and/or judgments be paid off prior to the final purchase of the home.

9.) San Diego Habitat for Humanity staff will work with families to ensure they understand the legal documents they sign that describe San Diego Habitat for Humanity’s “first right of refusal” to repurchase the home at an affordable sales prices with an equity sharing formula and prohibit families from refinancing or selling the home on the open market.