Handbook for
Home Ownership

Applicant Qualifications:

1. Demonstrate the need for adequate shelter based on current housing.

• Structural safety
• Overcrowding
• Temporary housing
• Cost of housing

2. Show an ability to pay based on income levels.

3. Have a willingness to partner with Habitat by:

Completing the sweat equity requirements. Families must complete a minimum of 200 hours before moving into their home. Our sweat equity policy includes hours of construction on your home, other homes, financial counseling, and homeowner education courses.

• Pay the monthly no-interest mortgage.
• Make a $250 down payment.
• Make insurance and property tax payments
  

The First Step:

The first step in becoming a Habitat homeowner is to attend our Applicant Orientation Meetings. At this informational session, you will find out about our program, see what a typical Habitat home looks like, and learn how to accurately complete your application. We do not hand out applications year-round. Our orientation meetings are only offered during limited times during the year (December, February, and April).

If you are interested in attending one, please call the Wausau Habitat office at 715-848-5042. You will be contacted about upcoming meetings.

Application Procedure and the Family Selection Process

The Habitat for Humanity of Wausau, Inc. family selection process differs from many housing programs. Not all low income persons will qualify. Habitat is looking for families that are in unacceptable housing situations (i.e.: lacking decent, affordable shelter), and who are eager and willing to work for something better.

We evaluate applying families in terms of their need for decent, affordable shelter, their eagerness and willingness to work; and their ability to be good homeowners - both is the sense of maintaining the house and grounds in respectable condition, as well as in the sense of responsibility and faithfully discharging their financial obligation to Habitat and to others in the form of payments (i.e.: mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities, repairs, etc.).

All who feel they are truly needy, and who can sincerely commit themselves to the herein described involvement and responsibilities, are invited to apply to Habitat for home ownership. Any applicant family selected for further consideration as potential homeowners with Habitat will be personally interviewed in their current home by members of our Family Selection Committee. Families pre qualified by the Committee are referred to the Board of Directors who will make the final determination.

How to Apply
Any family interested in applying for a Habitat home should call the local Habitat for Humanity office or send a written request for an application. The mailing address and telephone number is:

Habitat for Humanity of Wausau, Inc.
P. 0. Box 1372
Wausau, WI 54402-1372
715-848-5042

You will be notified of the date and time of the next informational and application meeting, where you will be able to pick up an application to become a homeowner.

The Family Selection Process
The Family Selection Committee may choose a homeowner-family as much as a year or two prior to the initial construction of the family's home.

The process of choosing Habitat families sometimes takes a while, so we ask for your patience. The steps involved are:

1. The Family Selection Committee reviews applications at a meeting. Those families who clearly do not qualify are sent notices why they do not qualify. Those applications that are still missing some information are contacted, and the applications are reviewed again at another meeting when all the information has been obtained.

2. The families still under consideration are visited by members of the Family Selection Committee.

3. The results of the visits (and other verified information are discussed at the next Committee meeting. Sometimes a second visitation is needed.
Families under consideration then meet with the Family Selection Committee for a short interview.

4. Families pre qualified by the Committee are referred to the Board of Directors who will make the determination regarding family selection.
The Board of Directors will notify families regarding their selection. Families chosen to receive a Habitat for Humanity home will be put in a waiting list of selected families until a house and fancily are matched.

5. A homeowner-family must complete at least 50 hours of the minimum 200 sweat equity hours before construction can begin on the family' s home. All 200 sweat equity hours must be completed before the family can occupy its home.

Guidelines For Family Selection
Families should have been residents of the greater Wausau area for at least one (1) year.

Families will be considered who do not have adequate housing. Adequacy will be determined by need, including present housing and size of family. It is impossible to state a rigid rule because variables such as taxes, family size, and food stamp allotments must be taken into consideration.

Households that earn enough to qualify for a conventional mortgage are not eligible for a Habitat house. The total monthly payment including taxes and insurance should not exceed 33% of the gross monthly income.

A family unit may consist of a single person or a couple, and their children or immediate relatives.

Applicants must show visible evidence of concern for the proper maintenance of present living quarters.

The applicant should demonstrate a regular and dependable income sufficient to meet the financial obligation of the new home including a $250 down payment, monthly mortgage payments and resources to pay taxes, insurance and normal upkeep including repairs and maintenance. Credit references, including payment of utility bills, will be requested and verified.
Applicants shall agree to participate in the Habitat for Humanity of Wausau affiliate construction process.

The fact that families within the program may be related shall not disqualify them from consideration.

Applicants must express a willingness to participate in programs to develop and utilize skills in home maintenance and improvement.

Construction of Your Home
Your house will be designed and built to keep maintenance and heating costs low. Our current designs can be adapted to between two and six bedrooms. We provide one bedroom for each pair of children of the same sex, plus one bedroom for the parents. Sometimes this leaves some unfinished space, possibly in the lower level to be finished by the family as needs and budgets allow.

2 bedroom homes = 1 bath
3 bedroom homes = 1.5 baths
4 / 5/ 6 bedroom homes = 2 baths

House plans will vary depending on the size and slope of the lot. All homes will be simple, well built structures and will be energy efficient. In some cases we may renovate an existing house. We can make accessibility modifications for family members with disabilities, but we do not offer any "custom" designs tailored to individual tastes.

We provide a gas furnace and water heater, duct work or pipes for a heating system, at least one bathroom, insulation, drywall siding, roofing, doors, windows, interior trim, cabinets and counters, all plumbing and electrical and floor coverings. Since we work with donated goods and services, most of the time there are no choices of color or style of these items. We do not use used construction materials nor would we use colors or styles, even though donated, that we would deem offensive. The Construction Committee chairperson will make the family aware if there are any choices to be made. This narrowing of options is a major way we keep costs down in the construction process, and these savings are passed on to the homeowner in the form of a lower purchase price. We do not provide appliances, however from time to time stores or manufactures may offer us "deals" that we would make available to the family. We will assist the family in landscaping and seeding of the lawn by providing volunteers who express a desire to help in that area.

Be forewarned that as your house begins to take shape, you are likely to get all kinds of well intentioned advice from your relatives and friends on "how to do it better" or "how to do it right", etc. We will not depart from our basic plans and design for your house. We have professional builders and home designers that help us to be sure we comply with all local building codes while building simple decent homes. The Board of Directors and our Construction Chairperson have final say in any such matters. When the construction of your home is completed several things need to happen before you can move in. One is the dedication ceremony. This is an open house, where the volunteers and the public are invited to celebrate the dedication of your new home. Typically your church's pastor will bless your house, the current Habitat President will say a few things, etc. The news media will likely be there and refreshments will be served. Another thing that will happen is "closing". The closing is a meeting where you will sign your loan papers and other documents pertaining to the purchase of your home. This will usually take place at a local bank or real estate office following the dedication. At this time you will need to have insurance on your new home and will need to know the amount of the annual premium. Your monthly payment will be figured at this time. The other event that will occur before occupancy is the final inspection. This is done by the building inspector and involves his approval of the finished building and construction techniques. When everything meets his approval he will issue an occupancy permit.

As a homeowner-family you must complete all 200 of your sweat equity hours before occupying your Habitat home.

The Family Support Committee and Construction Committee will work with you toward the end of construction to help estimate an occupancy date so you can give your Landlord legal and proper notice that you will be moving.

We're people working together, hand-in-hand - God's people helping each other to have decent affordable shelter. Volunteers helping to build or remodel Habitat houses have many responsibilities and are donating their time. Many factors affect the hours that can be put in. Monetary donations do not always come in as fast as we would like, causing delays. The whole process will undoubtedly take longer than you expected. Please be prepared to be patient, and know that we will do our best, with God's help, to meet your expectations.

Homeowner Requirements
As a chosen Habitat for Humanity homeowner, you are required to do "Sweat Equity". "Sweat Equity" consists of a minimum 200 hours of partnership service with Habitat. The 200 hours would consist of at least 50 hours of service prior to the starting of your home. All 200 sweat equity hours must be completed before you move into your Habitat home.

These hours are not limited to construction. Sweat equity hours can also consist of helping with other committees and events such as fund raising, publicity, the newsletter, the annual auction and community service projects.

You will be given a notebook to keep track of your "sweat equity" hours. It is your responsibility to keep accurate track of the hours that you or your extended family, friends or neighbors work. You will be required to have a Habitat member sign -your notebook verifying the hours you work. It is suggested that you keep this notebook with you and record your hours immediately and get it signed. If you record hours that are not signed for or forget to record hours, they will not count towards your 200 hours of sweat equity. When you are recording your hours, please include a description of what you did and who did it. This will help when you assist Habitat in ways other than construction, Like doing the newsletter or a mailing. If you have any questions about hours, your Family Support team will be able to assist you.

As recipients of a Habitat house, you are expected to be the hardest working volunteers on the work site. You may be required to do clean-up at the home after each work day. It is your responsibility to find out what must be done each week and to do much of the work that is done on your home to the best of your capability. Habitat builds a house with you, not for you.

Being a Habitat homeowner may involve some publicity. The homeowner family is often the center of attention among the volunteers. For this reason, Habitat expects the homeowner family's cooperation and participation at ground breaking events, house dedication ceremonies, interviews with the media, or whenever volunteers are working on the house. Habitat respects the homeowner family's privacy and will not embarrass them.

There may be moments when you will need a "tough hide". You may be criticized by a few people who do not fully understand the Habitat concept. Some might be upset that you have received a house. Habitat partners will stand by you, ready to help with any such problems.

We hope member families will help each other, sharing their concerns and problems as well as their joys and successes. They also become part of the large Habitat team which is seeking to do away with poverty housing throughout the world.

Family Support
It is the goal of the Family Support Committee to become acquainted with you, the selected family, so that we can provide support. We wish to create a non-threatening relationship that encourages communication between you, the committee, and the Board of Directors. We would like you to become involved in as many Habitat activities as possible.

One or two members of the Family Support Committee will help you work with the Construction Committee regarding the decisions you will need to make about your new home. We will provide you with a log to record your sweat equity hours. Before closing, you will be informed of the monetary down payment you will need and the need to purchase homeowners insurance for one full year in advance. You will also be informed of any other pertinent information at this time.

Before actual construction begins, the Family Support Committee will visit other homes in the neighborhood to explain Habitat for Humanity.

Our relationship with you is not as a landlord or property manager. You are the homeowner and are responsible for such things as property taxes and home insurance as well as home maintenance, repairs and operating costs. Our committee is willing to help you with these responsibilities. Monthly mortgage payments are due on the first of the month in advance. The payments received are recycled into building homes for other needy families. Our committee would like to work with you to identify and solve any problem that may prevent or delay payment. Please contact us as soon as a problem develops so that we can work together to solve it.