Are You Interested in Owning Your Own Home?

Habitat Choptank can help you become a home owner if you are willing to build a relationship with a Habitat sponsor, earn sweat equity hours, complete home owner education seminars, save for settlement costs, and budget for your future mortgage payments.  Working through this multi-step process will empower you and provide you with support toward becoming a successful Habitat home owner.

Am I Eligible To Apply For Home Ownership?

If you can answer yes to the following questions then you are eligible to apply:

• Have you been a resident of or worked in Dorchester or Talbot County for at least six months?
• Are you willing to live in a Habitat home in Dorchester or Talbot County?
• Are you currently living in substandard housing which is defined as overcrowded, in disrepair, unsafe, or too expensive?
• Are you willing to partner with Habitat Choptank and work openly and honestly with a sponsor?

How Are "Partner Families" Selected?
Carefully and thoughtfully.  The selection process can take up to four months and is intended to ensure that a future home owner is both in need and has the ability to assume responsibility for paying an interest-free mortgage.  After the initial screening, an eligible candidate completes a questionnaire to provide information about his/her income and housing needs.

Candidates that appear to meet the requirements for home ownership are invited to attend an Application & Orientation Meeting.  Here the program is discussed in detail and an application is completed with a member of the Family Selection Committee.

Next, Habitat Choptank will assess the applicant's credit and complete a sexual offender check to determine eligibility for proceeding to the next step - a home interview.

After the home interview and based on overall need for housing, ability to pay and willingness to partner, a recommendation will be made to the Family Selection Committee.  Final decision on approving an applicant for partnership is made by the Habitat Choptank Board of Directors.

What Is Sweat Equity?

Habitat for Humanity Choptank's program is centered on the partnership between volunteers and our neighbors in need.  Our affiliate requires that each future home owner earn 300-400 hours of sweat equity.  At least 200 of these hours must be earned by members of the family who will live in the house and 100 of those hours need to be earned on a Habitat construction site helping to build one's future home and other Habitat homes. Office work, participation in life skill seminars, and other selected activities deemed appropriate may also count toward sweat equity.  Extended family members who will not live in the house, friends and a Habitat volunteer sponsor may also help partners accrue sweat equity. 

For additional information, contact Habitat Choptank by calling 410-820-6186 / 410-476-3204 or by email.

Privacy Policy

Habitat for Humanity Choptank does not discriminate on the basis on race, color,
creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability or other legally protected status in admission to, access to, or operations of its programs, services or activities. The affiliate does not discriminate in its lending, volunteer engagement or employment practices.