2026 Homeowner Application

Are you interested in becoming a homeowner?

Unlike other loan programs, your approval is not entirely credit-score driven. A comprehensive evaluation of your personal financial situation, including income and monthly budget, is evaluated to determine your ability to make an affordable monthly mortgage payment. Every Habitat home is sold with a no-profit, no-interest mortgage. Additionally, families interested in purchasing a home through Bay Area Habitat must meet certain criteria listed below.

Our Homeownership Application cycle is CLOSED and will reopen in 2027.

We received an overwhelming response to our 2026 Fall Homeownership Application cycle and are now processing applications. If you submitted a complete application and all your necessary documents by September 15, then you can expect a response within the next few weeks. Please follow our social media or subscribe to our newsletter to be alerted about our next open application cycle! 

Basic Requirements

1. Need for shelter

Must have a legitimate need for housing. For example, broken plumbing, poor heating, leaks in the roof, overcrowding, unsafe or unsanitary conditions or dislocated as a result of a natural disaster.

2. Willingness to partner

Members of your household are required to give 200 hours of “sweat equity” towards building your home as well as other Habitat homes, attending specific financial budgeting and homeownership courses, and engaging with our program.

3. Ability to pay

Your family’s gross income must fall within the guidelines of the chart on the right. Income includes wages, social security, food stamps, disability and child support.

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Other requirements include, but are not limited to, U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, an agreement to complete sweat equity hours, current employment, and ability to make monthly payments and a one-time closing payment.

Income chart last updated August 2026.

After applying, our family selection committee will review your application.

The Family Selection Committee meets monthly to review the Application for Habitat Homeownership. This committee carries out home visits and interviews with the applicants and makes the appropriate recommendations for families they believe are qualified for the Habitat for Humanity program.

Our Family Selection Committee members get to know our prospective homeowners well and make informed yet unbiased decisions based on their understanding of each family’s needs. Bay Area Habitat for Humanity-Houston, inc. follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection.