How Does The Homeowner Application Process Work?
Families in need of decent shelter apply to local Habitat affiliates. The affiliate's family selection committee chooses homeowners based on their level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program and their ability to repay the no-interest loan. Every affiliate follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection.

Richmond Habitat seeks working families with decent credit who are living in severely overcrowded conditions or in substandard dwellings as partners in our homeownership process. Many Richmond Habitat homeowners previously lived in housing projects in very high crime neighborhoods. Our homeowners are municipal employees, health care workers, police officers, teachers’ aides, janitors, heavy equipment operators, clerks.

The average Richmond Habitat homeowner family earns 30% to 60% of area median income, far below what is needed to qualify for a conventional mortgage. While average rents in the greater Richmond metro area exceed $800 per month, the average mortgage payment for a Richmond Habitat family ranges from $250 - $500, including escrowed taxes and insurance.

As a social service provider, we support our families before, during, and after the purchase of their homes. We provide this support through workshops, advocacy, and one-on-one interaction. Richmond Habitat serves approximately 580 families annually through direct and support services.

Once accepted in our program, Habitat Homeowners are expected to attend a series of educational workshops, including sessions on budgeting, predatory lending and home maintenance. In addition, they are required to put in 350 hours of “sweat equity” into the building of their home.

The success of our program is seen when our partner families complete required homeownership preparation classes and sweat equity on houses under construction, and are able to move to decent housing in safe neighborhoods.

If your family, or a family you know, is in need of decent housing, we encourage you to attend a homeowner orientation to learn more about the Habitat homeownership application process. The Homeowner Orientation schedule for the year is March 20th, May 15th, July 17th, September 18th, and November 20th at 9:00 a.m. at the Richmond Habitat ReStore, located at 1901 Roane Street, off Chamberlayne Avenue and School Street. Click here for directions to ReStore.

Homeownership Pre-Qualifying Application

30%-60% area median income guidelines
60%-80% area median income guidelines

Other Housing Resources