Building Houses, Building Hope, Building Philadelphia.

How does the Habitat for Humanity Program work?

Families who are selected for our program partner with our donors and volunteers to build decent, affordable homes. Families work for 350 sweat equity hours on their own house or other Habitat houses in lieu of a down payment and to earn a no-interest mortgage. Mortgage payments are paid forward through our Fund for Humanity to help build more homes for more local families in need of shelter.  More questions?  Please read more at Own a Home. 

How can I apply for a Habitat Philadelphia home?

To learn more about the application process for our homeownership program, click here.

What is Habitat Philadelphia’s relationship to Habitat for Humanity International?

Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia is an independently chartered affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, the largest nonprofit homebuilder worldwide. We maintain a close relationship with Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) as well as the six other Delaware Valley Habitat affiliates; however, each affiliate operates independently of HFHI.  Each affiliate is responsible to raise funds locally to build locally.  Contributions to Habitat Philadelphia fund projects in the neighborhoods we serve - the City of Philadelphia.

How is Jimmy Carter involved with Habitat for Humanity?

Many people mistake Jimmy Carter as the founder of Habitat for Humanity International; however,  HFHI was founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller and his wife, Linda. Former President Jimmy Carter is our most famous volunteer! His involvement with Habitat for Humanity began in 1984 when he and his wife Rosalynn led a work group to New York City - the first annual Jimmy Carter Work Project. Ever since, both Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter give a week of their time each year to build homes and raise awareness of the critical need for affordable housing.  Habitat Philadelphia hosted the Jimmy Carter Work Project in 1988.

Who are Habitat Philadelphia’s partner families?

Habitat works with all types of families, but a typical partner family is a hardworking single parent of three, earning between $25,000 - $35,000 a year. To qualify as a partner family  with Habitat Philadelphia, a family has to be able to:  (1)  pay the mortgage; (2) demonstrate need for housing; (3) and be to partner with Habitat Philadelphia through the sweat equity process to purchase their home.

To learn more, please read Own A Home.

How much does a Habitat Philadelphia house cost to build?

Habitat Philadelphia constructs new houses and restores vacant properties to new life. On average, it costs about $120,000 to rehabilitate a home, and $140,000 to build a new one. Collectively, mortgage payments are paid forward into our Fund for Humanity which helps to build more houses and empower more families. We also receive donations from generous corporations, congregations, organizations, and individuals who are invested in their City and committed to creating affordable housing for everyone in Philadelphia.

How do I donate to Habitat Philadelphia?

Habitat Philadelphia receives gifts small and large from generous supporters including: individuals, corporations and foundations, houses of worship and beneficiary events. 

In-Kind donations of construction materials, furniture, and appliances for our homes and our ReStore also help enormously.

How much does a partner family pay for a Habitat Home?

Habitat homes have zero-interest, 20-30 year mortgages that cost an average of $400/month. Mortgage payments vary depending on the size of the house and can also be affected by the cost of real estate taxes and homeowners insurance.

Who can volunteer with Habitat Philadelphia?

Habitat Philadelphia welcomes individuals and groups to work on our construction site, ReStore or in the office. You must be at least 16 years of age to volunteer on a construction site. We have a real need for skilled volunteers, but anyone can help – you will learn on-site from our experienced site supervisors. For more information about volunteering with Habitat Philadelphia, read here.

What type of houses does Habitat Philadelphia build?

Habitat Philadelphia builds and rehabilitates row homes with two or three bedrooms. With our new construction projects, we make every effort to have the architectural design match the blocks where we are building.  Whether the home is a rehabilitated or newly constructed, two bedrooms or three, all homes are built with care for the family who will be living there and for the neighborhood where it is located.

Are Habitat Philadelphia homes green?

YES! Building green is inherent in Habitat Philadelphia’s mission of providing decent, affordable housing for all.  Sustainable housing is not only better for the environment; it is more economical for our families and has a positive social impact on the communities where we build.

How does Habitat Philadelphia acquire property?

The majority of our properties are attained through the City, specifically the Redevelopment Authority (RDA), the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC) and Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA).

Habitat also benefits from donated properties from individuals and estates.  If you are interested in donating property, please contact our Director of Project Planning, Jon Musselman at jonm@habitatphiladelphia.org or 215.765.6000 x25.

We also purchase properties on critical blocks in neighborhoods where we have a history of building.  Habitat Philadelphia welcomes your support to help defray the costs of property acquisition.

Does Habitat partner with other community organizations? Does Habitat Philadelphia have a working relationship with local, state, and national government officials and organizations?

To build community, we must practice community.  Habitat Philadelphia works closely with our  built-in network of local Habitat affiliates, as well,  we collaborate with a number of federal, state and city funding organizations.

Building in neighborhoods requires that we have strong community partners. Before building, we have the support and cooperation of local neighborhood associations and coalitions in each area that serve as strong community anchors for Habitat.

What is a Habitat ReStore? Does Habitat Philadelphia have one?

Habitat ReStores are outlets that accept donated goods for resale. The profits from ReStores are used to help fund the construction of more houses. Habitat Philadelphia is always looking for donations and volunteers for our ReStore.

To find your local Habitat ReStore click here.

Does Habitat do other community work outside of housing for homeownership, such as low income home repairs?

Habitat Philadelphia is a homeownership program that partners with families in need to build decent, affordable homes. We do not do home repairs on privately owned homes, but there are several other organizations in Philadelphia that may be able to provide you with assistance in affordable home repairs, heating, and energy.  Please read Where to Turn for more resources (download the PDF).