Program Requirements

Habitat for Humanity International designates three categories of criteria that all Habitat organizations around the world follow. Click each arrow to see how we define these criteria locally. Because we serve Albany, Rensselaer or southern Saratoga Counties, Habitat homebuyers must be a legal permanent resident or citizen of the U.S. and have lived or worked in our service area for at least one year in addition to the requirements below.

  • Be a first-time homebuyer, defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as not having owned a home in the past 3 years

  • Earn 50%-80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) as established by HUD (current limits listed below)

  • Be currently living in overcrowded, substandard, public or unaffordable housing; and/or unable to qualify for a conventional mortgage

  • Submit a complete application during an application cycle.

    Every application requires substantial supporting documents, and it is important to provide all necessary information in a timely manner in order to fairly review each application.

  • Habitat homebuyers are required to participate in homebuyer education to prepare them for successful homeownership.

    We highly recommend completing HUD-approved homeowner education before applying. All Habitat homeowners must have a valid homebuyer education certificate before closing on their home.

  • Habitat homebuyers must complete at least 100 hours of partnership activities, per adult in a household.

    50 of those hours must be completed on the build site during monthly homebuyer build days.

  • Habitat homebuyers must be able to prove a steady income that can affordably support a monthly mortgage payment. This means the mortgage is no more than 30% of gross income and total debt obligations are no more than 43% of monthly gross income.

    Refer to the income chart for more information.

  • Habitat applicants must have at least $1,000 in an established savings account when they apply.

    Additionally, applicants must have a satisfactory credit history with no accounts in collection, no unsatisfied public records, and no bankruptcies in the last 4 years.

    We recommend HUD-approved credit counseling to repair and build credit before applying.

  • In order to be considered for a Habitat house, applicants must pre-qualify for an affordable home loan through a local lender of their choice.

Income guidelines

Your approval is based on your unique circumstance, which means that Habitat and our banking partner will review your household size, annual income, credit history and other debts that you have (credit card, car payments, student loan) to determine whether you qualify to purchase this Habitat home. The income chart does not alone indicate whether you will qualify.

HUD updates the area median income for every metro area each spring. These numbers are subject to change accordingly. Because Habitat is a special purpose credit program, we may consider more forms of income when determining your household’s eligibility. Any reportable income can be considered, including wages, SSI/SSD, retirement, child support, and Section 8 housing subsidies.

Habitat recognizes that HUD’s calculations, although adjusted for inflation, do not always reflect the day-to-day financial reality of low-to-moderate-income prospective buyers. However, Habitat for Humanity International and our funders require us to use HUD’s income calculations to measure income.

“I learned how to maintain my home and how to finance it. I wasn’t just getting a home; I was gaining knowledge and experience in the process.”

— Eh P., Habitat homeowner

Thinking about buying a Habitat house? Start here:

Attend a free, HUD-approved Homebuyer 101 course

We recommend:

The course will help you decide if homeownership is right for you at this time. AHP and TRIP can also help you prepare financially for buying a home, including how to begin a savings account or improve your credit history

Sign up to be notified when our applications open

Habitat opens applications when we have homes available to purchase, which is typically 2-3 times per year. We do not keep a waitlist.

Attend a Habitat information session

These semi-monthly online info sessions review how Habitat works, how to apply, and how to prepare for upcoming application cycles.

Questions? Email us: homes@habitatcd.org

What Habitat builds

Habitat builds new homes and rehabilitates vacant homes for first-time homebuyers. We work with our homebuyers to secure an affordable mortgage from one of our local banking partners. We also provide pre-purchase counseling and support services to make sure you will be successful in your new home.

We do not provide home repairs for owner- or renter-occupied homes, nor do we provide grants for housing or home repairs. Habitat does not own or manage any rental properties.

Where Habitat builds

Habitat is committed not just to building homes, but to building community. We prioritize our construction efforts within focus neighborhoods to maximize our impact. Currently, we are building in Albany’s Sheridan Hollow and South End neighborhoods and the North Central Troy neighborhood.

Habitat for Humanity follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection. We are pledged to the letter and spirit of the U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.