Program Guidelines

To be eligible for a Habitat Greater San Francisco home, applicants must meet our income and credit guidelines, in addition to other requirements, such as being willing and able to perform up to 500 hours of sweat equity (volunteer hours) on the construction site, attending workshops, and volunteering in other programs.

Our selection process includes a review of your finances and credit, employment history, residency, and other qualifications.

Approved homeowners qualify for a monthly housing payment (mortgage, property tax, insurance, HOA fee—if applicable) equal to 30% of their gross monthly income. Read below to learn more about the process and fill out the interest form to be notified when new homes become available.

Basic requirements

  • Homeownership History — Applicants cannot have owned a home in the past 3 years.
  • Credit, Debt, and Income
    • Household must be within income guidelines. See chart below.
    • Total debt-to-income ratio below 45%.
    • Minimum credit score of 650.
  • Applicants must be permanent residents or U.S. citizens.
  • Household must have lived together consistently for the past twelve months at time of application.
  • Sweat Equity — Each household must complete up to 500 volunteer hours towards construction, education, and other opportunities.
  • Demonstrate a willingness to partner and share your story through our website, interviews, videos, and more.
  • Household income must be within ranges listed below:
Number of persons in household2345678
Minimum Income$78,350$88,150$97,900$105,750$113,600$121,400$129,250
Maximum Income$125,350$141,000$156,650$169,200$181,750$194,250$206,800

Source: Department of Housing and Community Development

Please note the above requirements and income ranges are general guidelines only and may differ for each project.

Steps to becoming a homeowner

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Step 1

Application

Attend our Application Information Meeting, gather your paperwork and submit your completed application.

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Step 2

Lottery

We use a lottery to determine whose application we review first. For example, if your lottery number is 1, we review your application first.

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Step 3

Qualification & Selection

During this step we look at your income, credit and background to determine if you qualify.

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Step 4

Up to 500 Hours of Sweat Equity

Once your family has been selected, it’s time to put in your 500 hours of sweat equity and help build your new home.

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Step 5

Escrow Closing

This is the final stage where we do one last income, credit and background review to requalify you for your loan and start the escrow process.

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Step 6

Move Into Your New Home!

Enjoy the security and stability that comes with owning your own home.

Applications are only available when homes are available and we do not have a waitlist. If you have applied in the past, you will need to submit a new application each time we have homes available. All applications that are received on time and filled out completely will be entered into a lottery. The lottery ONLY determines the order in which your application will be reviewed. It does not guarantee you a home.

To get in touch regarding homeownership or to make an appointment please email: HDDIntake@Habitatgsf.org or call 415 625 1041.

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Fill out our Homeownership Interest form

If you are interested in future homeownership opportunities, please fill out the short inquiry form below. When new homeownership opportunitites become available we’ll get in touch!

Fill out the form

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Affordable Homes in Redwood City

The City of Redwood City provides an online resource for those looking for affordable homes in the city. This includes listings as well as information about different housing options, including homeownership.

Visit the site

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Find partner resources

We are piloting a partnership with My Home Pathway, a mobile app that provides guidance, education and resources to first-time home buyers. Get started on your path to homeownership.

Learn more

Questions?

Please contact Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco at hddintake@habitatgsf.org

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