homeownership

• Potential applicants must be families with at least one child under 16 years of age at time of move-in.
• All family members moving into the homes must be Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents
• At least one of the applicant / co-applicant must be employed full-time, or full-time-equivalent.
• Applicant and/or co-applicant must have at least 2-3 years of employment history (Record of Employment must be provided).
• Applicant / Co-applicant must be first-time homebuyers.
• No bankruptcies (must have been discharged three or more years ago); consumer proposals will be considered on case-by-case basis.
• Preference will be given to families who already work or live in the regions within which we are building (eg. if you are applying for a Brampton home, it would be preferred – but not mandatory – that you live or work in Brampton or Peel Region).

• At least one of the applicant or co-applicant must be employed full-time or equivalent of full-time.
• Employment Insurance and Ontario Works are not acceptable sources of income.
• Total family income must be sufficient to cover the costs of homeownership for Habitat’s developments. Different developments have different costs depending on type, location, etc. – we do not share specific development costs before info sessions.
• Applicants will be asked to submit a current credit report that shows good credit history. Other documents required (but are not limited to) – paystubs, employment letters, account history, proof of rent being paid.

Factors to consider:

• Current living conditions are overcrowded, unsafe or unhealthy (e.g. inadequate structure, unsafe wiring, heating, air quality, water, poor sanitation, etc.)
• Current housing costs are too high (e.g. basic shelter costs are more than 30% of total family income)
• Barriers exist for physically challenged family members

Each selected family will be asked to fulfill the following partnership requirements:

• Be an ambassador for Habitat for Humanity GTA and represent the mission – this involves (1) understanding and agreeing with our model, (2) speaking about your experience with Habitat for Humanity GTA at events, in media interviews or in videos to help promote our organization’s work to other families, donors and volunteers.
• Contribute a minimum of 500 hours of volunteer ‘sweat equity’ toward the construction of their own home or a variety of other Habitat projects
• Commit to a homeownership and mortgage agreement with Habitat for Humanity GTA
• Attend Homeowner Education workshops to learn about the responsibilities of homeownership
• Adult members of the household must submit a criminal reference check prior to acceptance into the program