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How Habitat for Humanity Works

Homes are built for families who do not qualify for conventional bank loans. Most of the labor is done by volunteers and by the families themselves. Individuals, faith groups, and businesses contribute time and materials When the home is completed, the family makes a small down payment and gets a mortgage. The mortgage covers the cost of the home, but without added interest charges. Their monthly mortgage payments go into a revolving fund (the "Fund for Humanity") that helps build homes for other families. Each homeowner is responsible for insurance, taxes, utilities, maintenance, and other standard homeowner expenses.

All are Welcome

Idaho Panhandle Habitat for Humanity has an open-door policy: All who believe that everyone needs a decent, affordable place to live are welcome to help with the work, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, political views or any of the other distinctions that too often divide people. In short, Habitat welcomes volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds and also serves people in need of decent housing regardless of race or religion. As a matter of policy, Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliated organizations do not proselytize. Nor will HFH work with entities or individuals who insist on proselytizing as part of their work with HFH. This means that Habitat will not offer assistance on the expressed or implied condition that people must either adhere to or convert to a particular faith, or listen and respond to messaging designed to induce conversion to a particular faith.

Each family must meet the following qualifications

• Have a housing need
• Have a job
• Be willing to accept the publicity associated with owning a Habitat home
• Have enough income to support a small mortgage, but not enough to qualify for a conventional loan
• Be willing to put in 300 hours or more of "sweat equity" on their home and on other Habitat homes

How Habitat for Humanity Helps Bonner County

• A family is able to buy an affordable home
• This family is able to live and work locally
• The materials to build the home are purchased locally
• The minimal professional service required is obtained locally

About Habitat for Humanity International

Founded in Americus, Georgia, USA, in 1976, Habitat for Humanity today operates around the globe and has helped build, renovate and repair more than 600,000 decent, affordable houses sheltering more than 3 million people worldwide.