At Habitat Metro Denver, our mission and focus is affordable homeownership – and that includes making sure families are set up for success as homeowners.
Our partnership process includes classes and support to help families 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.
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.
Applicants maintain regular communication with our team and complete sweat equity hours. Sweat equity can include volunteer work on construction sites or at Habitat ReStores, attending special events, and participating in homebuyer education and counseling sessions.
We review a homeowner's financial health to make sure they have low debt, healthy credit, and the ability to sustain an affordable monthly mortgage payment. Habitat does not give homes away, but rather provides an affordable path to homeownership.
Applicants must demonstrate a need for housing, which includes meeting income guidelines. Homeowners must be at or below 80% of the area median income to qualify – which is $104,200 or less for a family of four, and $83,400 or less for a household of two.
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.
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.
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.
At Habitat Metro Denver, our mission goes beyond helping families 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.
