General Requirements
To qualify for homeownership, applicants:
- Must have lived or worked in metro Denver for at least six months (Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties)
- Cannot currently own a home, and can’t have owned a home in the past 3 years
- Cannot be a registered sex offender
- Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency
- Any prior bankruptcy must be discharged for 2+ years.
- Must commit to completing sweat equity hours in partnership with Habitat
Financial Requirements
Applicants also must:
- Have a minimum credit score of 620
- Have a minimum of six consecutive months of employment on all current jobs, or 2 years if self-employed
- Maintain a monthly gross income within our income guidelines (below), based on your household size
- Have less than $2,000 in unpaid collections
- Have at least two years since being discharged from bankruptcy
- Have a “non-housing-related payment debt-to-income (DTI) ratio” of less than 13%. Debts might include minimum monthly credit card payments, car loans, student loans, etc. Income can include wages, business income, SSI/SSDI disability, alimony, child support, and retirement.
- Demonstrated history of responsible financial behavior
- Show a total debt-to-income ratio (including Habitat mortgage payment) that is be less than 43%
- Demonstrate responsible credit and bill paying history.
Income Requirements
To purchase a Habitat home, you must make less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Your income level is based on your household size. To qualify for a Habitat home, you must make less than the amount listed below for your household size.
1 Person Household
$71,900
2 Person Household
$82,150
3 Person Household
$92,400
4 Person Household
$102,650
5 Person Household
$110,900
These are the maximum household incomes allowed. Note that while these represent our most common household sizes, Habitat Metro Denver serves households of up to 10 when homes are available.