Supporting homeowners for closing day – and beyond

At Habitat Metro Denver, our mission and focus is affordable homeownership – and that includes making sure people are set up for success as homeowners.

Our partnership process includes classes and support to help people prepare for homeownership. But have you ever wondered what happens after Habitat for Humanity sells a home? In this blog, we’re taking a deeper look at how we prepare future homeowners for success and how we continue to support them after they close.

Preparing applicants for homeownership

Our Homeowner Services team is committed to supporting future homeowners from the time they are selected into the homeownership program until the time they close. Homeowner guides are members of our staff who serve as the main point of contact for a cohort of families, helping ensure a smooth and supported transition into homeownership.

To make sure we are serving people who are the best fit for our program, we ask for a few key requirements:

Seeking housing stability

We work with people who face housing challenges like high costs, overcrowding, or unsafe conditions, and desire the stability of homeownership

Committed to partnership

Homebuyers agree to work with Habitat staff and partners in their homeownership journey. This may include homebuyer education classes and volunteer hours (also known as sweat equity)

Financially ready

Homebuyers must meet income requirements and align with other criteria demonstrating financial readiness for homeownership.

Education to prepare for homeownership

During an applicant’s homeownership process, they take a variety of homebuyer education classes to ensure they are financially and practically ready for the next chapter.

Our homebuyer classes include:

Credit and debt – Understanding credit and managing debt responsibly.
Estate planning –Preparing legal documents to protect home and family.
Good neighbor – Building and maintaining strong relationships with your neighbors.
Homeowners’ associations (HOAs) – If the homeowner is buying a home where an HOA will be present, this class explains how they function and what to expect.
Homeowners’ insurance – Understanding what’s covered and how it works.
Landscaping maintenance – Lawncare tips and tools including sprinkler systems and seasonal upkeep.
Planning for your future – Financial planning for long-term stability.

Long term affordability – equipping homeowners with what they need to know

One important goal in our work is to ensure our homes are affordable to purchase today and for years to come. We do this by including long-term affordability covenants on our homes.

As part of our homebuyer education process, homeowners learn the details of the long-term affordability measure in place on their specific home, how it impacts them, and what kind of support is available to them.

There are two primary ways that we ensure long-term affordability:

Long-term deed restrictions. For many of our homes, we implement a 90-year long-term affordability deed restriction covenant. This means that when a homeowner decides to sell, the home must remain affordable for the next buyer. This structure ensures that the home continues to serve future low- to moderate-income families while building stability within the community.
In other cases, we include homes in the Colorado Community Land Trust (CCLT) our organization’s land trust. This means that the land trust retains ownership of the land, and the homeowner purchases their home on that land, providing some cost savings to the homeowner. The land trust also determine the sales price when a homeowner is ready to sell – ensuring the home remains affordable for the next buyer.

In addition to keeping homes affordable in the long-term, these long-term affordability mechanisms also come with support from our stewardship team, who is there for homeowners after move-in.

Ongoing support through stewardship

Although each homeowner is responsible for the upkeep of their home, our stewardship team supports families with future questions, as well as some unforeseen challenges.

Buyers of CCLT homes can contact our stewardship team if they want to make an improvement on their home, have a financial change, or are considering selling. The land trust remains a partner—ready to help navigate financial challenges, deferred maintenance, or risks of foreclosure.

We also offer a few homeowner resources on our website, including:

How-to videos on topics like property taxes, HOAs, escrow accounts, and filing insurance claims.
Links to community organizations that offer help with home repairs, utility bills, and other family needs, especially if a family experiences an emergency or a change in their financial situation.

Our goal:

Homeownership for long-term stability

At Habitat Metro Denver, our mission goes beyond helping people purchase a home. We are committed to ensuring they can remain in their home long-term. By focusing on homebuyer education, long-term affordability, and stewardship, we’re building more than houses—we’re building stable futures.

Supporting homeowners for closing day – and beyond