Habitat Cape May Homeowner Application Events to Be Held March 8, 12

COURT HOUSE — Habitat for Humanity Cape May County will be holding two homeowner/partner application events: March 8 at the Martin Luther King Center in Whitesboro from 1 to 4 p.m., and March 12 at the Lower Township Public Library in Villas from 5 to 8 p.m. We are seeking new qualified families for four homes to be built in Whitesboro and Cape May Court House during 2014 and 2015.
At these application events, Habitat volunteers and staff will be available to assist prospective homeowners in filling out preliminary applications to be considered for a Habitat for Humanity home in Cape May County. Applicants may arrive at any time during the event, and should expect to spend 30-45 minutes completing the application. All interested prospective homeowners are encouraged to attend one of the two events, in order to ensure their applications are completed in full and included in the applicant pool. All completed applications will then be screened for basic eligibility, and families who are eligible will be invited for a follow-up interview where tax returns and other documentation will be reviewed.
Habitat for Humanity is committed to a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection. Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing partner families. Partner families are always selected based on three factors: their level of need, an ability to pay a monthly mortgage, and willingness to partner with Habitat. Applicants are required to meet several qualifications to ensure success.
In general, prospective homeowners must:
• Be U.S. citizens or legal residents.
• Prove steady income.
• Have good credit.
• Earn a monthly income that falls within minimum and maximum limits based upon household size. Approximate minimum family income is currently $22K per year, and maximum is $37K per year for a family of four.
• Demonstrate a current need for adequate housing.
In addition, each partner family will be required to:
• Invest sweat-equity hours in building his/her home and those of others.
• Make an affordable down payment and timely mortgage payments.
• Attend homeowner education classes.
Habitat Cape May requires that partner families contribute 300 hours of “sweat equity” into building their Habitat home and the houses of others. The initial application for housing requires information about current housing conditions, employment and finances (monthly income, bills, assets, and debt). Habitat Cape May targets families with maximum incomes of 50% of the HUD median family income for Cape May County, or families earning approximately $37K per year or less (for family of four). It is important to note that Habitat is not a giveaway program. Habitat families make monthly mortgage payments, but what makes the payments affordable is that the houses are sold for significantly less than the market value (approximately $110,000) and financed by Habitat Cape May via a no-interest mortgage.
Mortgage payments for Habitat homes in Cape May County, including property taxes and insurance, are roughly $650/month. These monthly mortgage payments are then used by Habitat to finance the building of more Habitat houses.
Homeowner applications are also available online at habitatcapemay.org. Any mailed applications must be received by March 14, 2014.
Martin Luther King Center – 207 West Main Street, Whitesboro, NJ Lower Township Public Library – 2800 Bayshore Road, Villas, NJ
For additional information, Habitat Cape May: 609-463-0244 (voicemail)
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit ecumenical Christian housing ministry that builds simple affordable houses in partnership with those in need of decent housing. Habitat operates at the grassroots level, with affiliates in all 50 states and over 90 countries around the world, and has built nearly 1,000,000 homes since 1976. Visit habitat.org for more information.