November 2020

Dear Habitat Homeowner Applicant:

** Application deadline Monday, December 18, 2020, 5PM **

L-C Valley Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical nonprofit organization that works to provide affordable housing. We use private donations and volunteer labor to build homes with those in need of decent, affordable housing in Nez Perce or Asotin County. We adhere to the spirit of federal fair housing law; anyone is welcome to apply no matter their personal beliefs or background. Habitat asks only that they meet the qualifications listed below.

Habitat is a hand up, not a hand out. Future Habitat homeowners must save a down payment, put in time helping build the home, attend classes and workshops designed to help them become successful homeowners, and purchase the home from Habitat with a zero or very low interest mortgage. L-C Valley Habitat sets the mortgage based on the cost to build the home and, considering the costs of insurance and taxes, what would be an affordable monthly payment for the homeowner.

If you have any questions, or if you need assistance filling out the application please attend an Informational Help Session or call the L-C Valley Habitat for Humanity office at 509.758.7396.

  1. Have a housing need. For example: excessive rental/utility expenses, no indoor plumbing, poor heating, leaks in the roof, overcrowding, unsafe or unsanitary conditions. The Homeowner Selection Committee may schedule a home visit with you to verify need.
  2. Have lived or worked in Nez Perce or Asotin County for at least the last year.
  3. Have pre-tax (gross) income* in the Habitat annual income range for Nez Perce/Asotin County for a family of your size. For example: for a family of two that would be between $17,240 and $43,600 per year. See the Habitat annual income range table listed in this document or at l-cvalleyhabitat.org for more details on income levels and family size.
  4. Provide permission for Habitat to verify employment and other income, verify checking and savings account balances, get a statement from your current and previous landlords, have a credit check done, conduct background checks, and ask you for credit references. Please sign the enclosed Permission Form and return it with your completed application.
  5. Be willing to participate in programs to become a successful homeowner, which will include budgeting, home repair and maintenance.
  6. Be willing to invest “sweat equity” by working on the Habitat house or other approved projects. A single adult household is required to put in 250 hours; a family headed by two adults is required to invest 400 hours.
  7. Be willing and able to make monthly payments towards a share of the closing costs on your house, for a total of approximately $1,000.
  8. Be able to purchase the home from Habitat once it is completed. Habitat house payments include taxes and insurance and are typically approximately $550 per month. The actual amount will vary depending on local taxes, insurance rates, the final construction cost of the home, and what is affordable in the homeowner’s monthly budget. L-C Valley Habitat cannot guarantee what the final price will be until the construction is complete.

If you are interested in Habitat and if you believe you qualify for a home according to the above guidelines, we encourage you to attend the informational meeting, fill out and return the application with the required additional documentation listed in the application checklist and the permission slip.

All information is considered confidential and is to be used only for homeowner selection. The application process may take up to 3 months. It is our policy that, between equally qualified applications, the Homeowner Selection Committee will select the applicant with the greatest need.

Return completed application and documents to:
L-C Valley Habitat for Humanity
Attn.: Homeowner Program
PO Box 317
Clarkston, WA 99403

Applications MUST be postmarked by or turned in to the office by 5:00PM on Monday, December 18, 2020.

Questions? Call 509.758.7396 or email director@lewisclarkhabitat.org

Download Application
Download Flyer

HOMEOWNER APPLICATION INFORMATION SESSIONS

Attending one of these meetings is not required, but strongly recommended.

A Habitat Volunteer Loan Officer will be available at Zoom information presentations and help sessions for those needing assistance with their applications.

Must request zoom meeting link via email to director@lewisclarkhabitat.org, 24 hours in advance of meeting date.

  • Tuesday, November 24, at 6:00 pm via Zoom
  • Saturday, December 5, at 10:00 am via Zoom
  • Sunday, December 18, at 3:00 pm via Zoom

Fill out and submit the application with all the required documentation before the deadline. NOTE: It is strongly recommended, but not required, that you attend one of the informational sessions provided prior to completing your application.

There are three main criteria to apply for a Habitat Home:

  • Ability to pay,
  • Need for housing, and
  • Willingness to partner with Habitat.

L-C Valley Habitat for Humanity partners with individuals and families in need of a safe affordable place to call home.

We believe that home is the beginning of a strong foundation. A Habitat home helps families develop a stable financial future, and a healthy place for a family and children to grow and thrive.

Habitat homeowners are active participants in building a better future for themselves and their families. They get a hand up, not a handout.

Turn your dream of owning a home into a reality.

Lewis Clark Habitat for Humanity builds safe, decent, affordable housing for families in need that reside in The Valley. We build houses where we can find affordable or donated land in Asotin County, WA and Nez Perce County, ID.

Habitat homeowners achieve strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter. Shelter they helped build.

They complete hundreds of hours of sweat equity building their own home and homes of other Habitat families, attend financial workshops and homebuyer classes, save for their closing costs and pay an affordable mortgage. It’s hard work but it’s worth it.

Home ownership is a real commitment, the process can take over a year from start to finish. Our Site Selection Committee finds and determines the location of the home. Our Homeowner Selection Committee runs the application screening process and makes the final selection.