Application Guidelines and Selection Criteria for “A Brush with Kindness”
El Dorado County Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that builds and repairs homes for families that could not otherwise afford to do so. Applying for Habitat’s A Brush With Kindness home repair program is a multi-step process that begins with a meeting called an Applicant Orientation.
The application process takes three to four months. Once the application is approved, it will be about two to eight months before the home repair project is completed. The amount of time required to complete the home repair project depends upon the nature of the work, weather, the number of other families who have already been approved for the program, and other related factors.
Families may be asked to repay a small portion of their project cost in the form of a zero interest loan over five years.
Guidelines and Criteria
The three major criteria for selection into the Habitat A Brush With Kindness home repair program are:
1) NEED
2) WILLINGNESS AND ABILITY TO ACCEPT FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
3) WILLINGNESS TO PARTNER WITH HABITAT
NEED
- The family must currently live in housing that is unsafe or otherwise in poor condition
- Structural deficiencies
- Safety issues
- Health-related deficiencies
- Livability issues
- The family must be unable to perform the repairs themselves
- The family must be unable to afford to pay someone to do the repairs
- The total household income must fall below the levels listed in this chart:
Family Size (number of people living in home) / Maximum Income **
1 / $25,500
2 / $29,100
3 / $32,750
4 / $36,400
5 / $39,300
6 / $42,200
7 / $45,150
8 / $48,050
** Income guidelines and estimated mortgage payments are subject to change.
WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
- The family must sign a repayment agreement that allows El Dorado County Habitat for Humanity to recover a portion of the project cost if the house is sold within five years
- The family must be willing to repay a portion of the cost of the repair project
WILLINGNESS TO PARTNER
- The family must obtain and provide the required documentation and information by the given deadlines.
- The family must be honest and cooperative with El Dorado County Habitat for Humanity.
- The family must perform sweat equity to the extent that they are physically able to do so
What is Sweat Equity?
Sweat Equity refers to the work that the homeowner performs with Habitat on the repair project for their home. Sweat Equity is key to the success of the Habitat program. Working alongside volunteers to repair homes is one of the most unique and rewarding aspects of Habitat for Humanity.
