Welcome to the 2023 Homeownership Program Screening
The fall 2023 screening period is now open.
Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia, Inc. provides qualifying households who complete our program requirements the opportunity to purchase a home in the city of Philadelphia through an affordable mortgage.
Our screening period is now open. If you think the Homeownership Program is a good fit for you, fill out the form below.
Screening FormAnyone applying to the Homeownership Program must qualify along with our income and credit guidelines; in addition to being willing to complete program requirements, such as performing a minimum of 125 hours of sweat equity (volunteer service hours), attending monthly workshops, completing a set of pre-homeownership counseling sessions, and saving monthly for closing costs within an 8-month period.
Once you submit an online screening form, our Homeowner Services team will assess whether your household meets our basic program guidelines. If you qualify, you may be asked to submit a full application, which includes submitting an application fee ($35 per applicant), sharing any requested additional verification documents, and as needed, interviewing with our team. The full application will also include a review of your household finances, credit history, employment history, residency, and other qualifications.
This screening form is only made available when our construction schedule has homes available. If you have applied in the past, you will need to submit a new application each time we have homes available. We will review all completed screening forms and invite select qualified applicants to complete a full application on a rolling basis until we find our desired number of program participants for this recruitment cycle.
A note on program capacity:
We have a limited number of homes scheduled to be built each recruitment cycle. Due to these capacity constraints, there is a good chance you may qualify for the Homeownership Program, and still not be selected to participate during this recruitment cycle.
Do not be discouraged! We also have a list of resources that can assist you on your journey to homeownership here (https://www.habitatphiladelphia.org/philadelphia-homeowner-resources/)
How do you know if you qualify?
- Applicants/Co-applicants (i.e., the borrower/co-borrower on the mortgage) must have verifiable income from the past two years.
- Applicants must have a history of reliable payments on their credit report, with no bankruptcies filed within the past two years.
- Applicant’s debt to income ratio is below 36%.
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
- Applicants have never purchased a Habitat home in any place (note: owning a non-Habitat home in the past will not disqualify an applicant).
- The household does not have more than 8 individuals (including children).
- Households with a combined annual gross income of up to 80% of the area median income (AMI) may qualify. AMI is calculated and updated each year by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Please see the 2022 chart of income eligibility below for reference.
| Household Size | Minimum Household Income | Maximum Income |
|---|---|---|
| Household Size1 | Minimum Household Income$36,900 | Maximum Income$59,040 |
| Household Size2 | Minimum Household Income$42,200 | Maximum Income$67,520 |
| Household Size3 | Minimum Household Income$47,450 | Maximum Income$75,920 |
| Household Size4 | Minimum Household Income$52,700 | Maximum Income$84,320 |
| Household Size5 | Minimum Household Income$56,950 | Maximum Income$91,120 |
| Household Size6 | Minimum Household Income$61,150 | Maximum Income$97,840 |
| Household Size7 | Minimum Household Income$63,350 | Maximum Income$101,360 |
| Household Size8 | Minimum Household Income$69,600 | Maximum Income$111,360 |
Questions or need technical support completing the online screening application? You can request an appointment to meet with a Homeowner Services team member at our office via phone (215-765-6000 ext. 18) or email (family@habitatphiladelphia.org). Please note our office is closed to visitors who don’t have a confirmed appointment – no walk-ins.
