Habitat for Humanity is an equal opportunity program that provides simple, decent, affordable home ownership opportunities to low-income families living between 25-50% of the area's median income. Greater Worcester Habitat for Humanity is committed to working in partnership with families in need from our service area, which now includes: Ashland, Auburn, Boylston, Charlton, Framingham, Grafton, Holden, Holliston, Hopkinton, Leicester, Marlborough, Millbury, Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Oxford, Paxton, Rutland, Sherborn, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Southbridge, Sturbridge, Sudbury, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, West Boylston, and Worcester.

Your household will be considered if you are a documented resident and earn between 25% and 50% of the area median income.

* Effective 1/1/07 and set according to HUD income guidelines for Worcester, MA

The three basic criteria used to select prospective homeowners are:

1. The applicant must have a need for adequate shelter. The family may be living in a structure that lacks adequate heating, plumbing or electricity or there may be significant overcrowding. Sometimes the family is spending more than 50% of their gross income on housing or may be living in a shelter or condemned structure.
2. The applicant must have the ability to pay for the house. Habitat for Humanity selects families that earn between 25 and 50 percent of the area median income. This allows the committee to select low-income families that are not eligible for conventional financing but have sufficient income to cover a no-interest, no-profit mortgage and other housing costs. A typical mortgage is about 30% of the homeowner's gross income.
3. The applicant must be willing to partner with Habitat for Humanity. Once selected, partner families must attend monthly homeownership meetings. They must also agree to put in between 400 and 500 hours of sweat equity building their own house and other Habitat houses. Further, partner families agree to assist Habitat with publicity and other events.

The Family Selection Committee uses these criteria to select families in a way that does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, age, handicap, religion, marital status or because all or part of the applicant's income is derived from public assistance.

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there is no discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, age, or national origin.

** Please note: you must attend an informational meeting to apply for homeownership ~ we do not mail out applications.