Habitat Myth Busters! Myth: Habitat Gives Away FREE Homes.

For the Month of March we are turning in to the Habitat Myth Busters. We want to focus on debunking the many myths out there about Habitat for Humanity. I know there are lots of them, and everyone thinks they know the real habitat – who we help, how we get money, and how we build houses. We are here to shed some light on the truth, and reveal what Habitat truly does and how we truly help.

Here are the most common myths we deal with right here in Chattanooga:

1.        Habitat gives houses away to poor people for free.

2.        Habitat is a land-lord, we help families fix their houses and manage the property.

3.        We only give homes to single African American mothers.

4.        (and out most popular) Habitat house are ugly and reduces the neighborhood’s property values.

Have you always wondered if these were true? Well stay tuned as we reveal the truth about Habitat every week for the next four weeks!  Here goes myth #1:

MYTH #1: Habitat Gives Houses away to poor people for free.

Fact: This is simply NOT true. Habitat for Humanity offers homeownership to families who are unable to obtain conventional house financing. Generally this includes those whose income is 30-50% of Chattanooga’s median income (see the income tables below). Generally speaking, Habitat families make a $2,000 down payment and have to complete 350 hours of sweat equity hours (hours they spend working on their home or another’s home). We also require the families to complete homeownership classes and Dave Ramey’s Financial Peace University coursework. We sell the completed home on a 30-year 0-% interest mortgage once the family has paid the down payment and completed the 350 sweat equity hours.

We are able to do this because we build houses using donations of land, material, and labor. That way the mortgage payments are kept affordable, and under the cost of the Fair-Market-Rent in the area. So, we don’t “give” houses away, we make sure our families are qualified and willing to commit to partnering with us.

Habitat Partner Income Limits:

*To find out more info about the qualifications to qualify for a Habitat House in Chattanooga, click here.

There you have it! A Habitat Myth exposed! Spread the word!

Next week, we’ll take a look at the myth that Habitat is just a glorified landlord!

P.s. If you know a family who meet these basic guidelines and is in need of a simple, safe, and  affordable home, click here to get an application. We are always looking for willing and qualified homeowners!