Habitat for Humanity of Lee County, FL

Apply For A Home

Basic guidelines to apply for a Habitat for Humanity home in Lee County.

You must have either lived or worked in Lee County for the past 12 months.

You must either be a US citizen or a permanent resident alien with your resident alien card.

You must be married, single or divorced. If you are separated we will accept your application after reconciliation or divorce. If you are married or living together both need to apply as applicant and co-applicant.

You must wait 5 years after a foreclosure or bankruptcy is finalized to apply.

Your total household income must be a minimum of $12,792 and may not exceed the maximum requirements listed in the table below.

Family Members	Family of 1	Family of 2	Family of 3	Family of 4+
Income Maximum	$33,550.00	$38,300.00	$43,100.00	$47,900.00

Additional requirements include:

• All adults in the household must apply as applicant and co-applicants and must sign the application.

• You cannot be separated from your spouse. This must be resolved through reconciliation or divorce.

If you meet these guidelines and are interested in applying for a Habitat home please visit our office at 1288 N. Tamiami Trail in North Fort Myers during regular business hours 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.- Fri. or fill out and submit an application here.
There is a $40 non-refundable application fee.

If you have any additional questions about Habitat’s homeowner program,
please email familyservices@habitat4humanity.org or call 239-652-0434 ext: 212.

How Families are Chosen

A Selection Committee made up of Lee County citizens considers applications based
on the following criteria:

Need:
• Need is determined by a number of factors including the physical condition of the current home, the safety of the neighborhood and the amount of space in the house in relation to the number of people in the family.

Ability To Pay:
• The ability to pay a Habitat mortgage is determined by total income, amount of monthly bills and total debt.

Willingness:

• The partnership includes 500 hours of “sweat equity”. This is where the family helps to build Habitat homes.

• There are also home ownership classes that must be completed before the family can move to their home.

• You must pay $1200 before you move in to go towards closing costs.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long will it take to finish program?
You will have 12 months to complete the program, including classes, hours and paying the $1,200
towards closing costs.

When & where are the homeowner classes?
The classes are held at the office 1288 N. Tamiami Trail, N. Ft. Myers. The Welcome class is from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the first Monday of the month and homeowner classes are on Tuesday evenings from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Will I immediately be able to move into my house when my hours, classes and payment are complete?
Because of the building schedule, you may have to wait on your home to be built.

Are pets allowed?
Homeowners are allowed to have dogs. There are certain breeds of dogs, (pit bull, rotweiller, german shepherd, etc.); also, wild animals, farm animals, and dangerous reptiles that are considered dangerous on your property and the insurance industry will not insure your property.

I know nothing about building a home, how am I going to be able to help on a job site?
At each job site we have a site supervisor who will instruct you in what needs to be done. Every job is important, even the clean up. You will learn important skills for the upkeep of your home.

Who can help with my sweat equity hours?
The applicant and co-applicant will each be expected to finish 125 hours. The remaining hours may
be finished with the help of family and friends. Those that assist you must be 14 years of age or older. Teens must bring a picture ID to verify age. An adult MUST supervise ALL children ages 14-17.