To receive an application, a person must be a citizen or legal resident of the United States that has lived in Rowan County for at least one year.

Applicants are chosen using three basic criteria for selection:

1. Housing need
2. Ability to pay
3. Willingness to partner

Take this short quiz to see if you may qualify:

1. HOUSING NEED: Applicants must have a definite housing need. For example: overcrowding (three to a bedroom), poor heating, leaking roof, unsafe or unsanitary conditions. Priority is based on level of need. Public housing and Section-8 tenants are welcome to apply. Please answer these questions:
   
   
   • Are there significant things wrong with where you live?
   • Are the things that are wrong beyond your control (example: landlord negligence)?
   • Do you think your current residence is substandard?

   A family's size and income is considered when evaluating housing need. The chart shown below describes the income level of the applicants that we accept. These income guidelines are adjusted by the size of the family that will live in the house. Please study the income guidelines and compare it to your family's total yearly, before tax income (from all sources). Any income that is received by any person who will live in the house should be considered and included in your comparison.

   Annual Gross Income Guidelines
   FAMILY SIZE

   Family Size	Not Less Than	Not More Than
   1	$11,200	$22,450
   2	$12,800	$25,650
   3	$14,400	$28,850
   4	$16,050	$32,050
   5	$17,300	$34,600
   6	$18,600	$37,200
   7	$19,900	$39,750
   8	$21,150	$42,300

   
   
• Does your family's income fit within these guidelines?
  
  
2. ABILITY TO PAY: Habitat homebuyers must have a stable income and a reasonable credit history, with no judgments. The sale of a Habitat house to a partner family is financed with an affordable, no-interest loan that must be repaid. Habitat will not approve the application of anyone who will not or cannot pay their bills. Persons who have bad credit should not apply until they have repaired their credit.
   
   
   • Is your credit record free of bankruptcy &/or judgments?
   • Do you pay your bills?
   • Are you able to pay your bills on time?
     
     
3. WILLINGNESS TO PARTNER: Habitat does not build houses for anyone — we build houses with families who are accepted. Family members and volunteers work together to build the house. The work done by the homebuyer family is called "sweat equity". Each family must work 100 hours on another Habitat family's home or on Habitat fund-raising activities before their house will be started. Families are required to work an additional period of "sweat equity" time (based on family size and children's age — average is 300 hours) assisting in the construction of their own house, however possible. Your friends and relatives can help you earn "sweat equity" hours.
   
   
   • Are you willing to work on your house?
   • Will you be on time and ready to work when you are scheduled to work?
   • Are you willing to ask your friends and family to help you work?

If you honestly answered "Yes" to all the questions and feel that your situation fits all 3 basic requirements, we welcome you to make an application to Habitat the next time applications are taken. If you are interested in making an application please call the Habitat office at (704) 642-6292 to learn the date of the next opportunity to apply.