Homeownership

Wild Rivers Habitat for Humanity is a Christian housing ministry financed through private donations and utilizing volunteer labor.  Our purpose is to build homes with families and sell the houses at no profit and no interest to families who could not otherwise afford a home.

Please read the following items to see if you have an interest in our ministry and to see if you meet our general guidelines to apply for a home:

1. To qualify you must have a need for decent housing.  For example:  no indoor plumbing, poor heating, leaks in the roof, overcrowding (three to a bedroom), paying over 50% of your gross income in rent, unsafe or unsanitary conditions.
2. Only families who can’t purchase a house through conventional means will be considered.
3. You need to have lived or worked in Polk or Burnett County for at least six months. 
4. You need to have a minimum steady income, and demonstrate a history of financial responsibility.  You will need to provide a copy of your most recent Federal Income Tax Return along with your application.  The following table represents the minimum and maximum income requirements based on family size. Income includes wages, tips, commissions and SSI but does not include temporary sources such as unemployment or food stamps.

With your permission, we will verify employment and other income, verify checking and savings account balances, get a statement from your current and previous landlords, have a credit check done, and ask you for credit references. Because this information is important to your application, please be sure the names and addresses are complete.  We would ask that you provide fax numbers if available.

1. Applicants must show visible evidence of concern for proper maintenance of their present living quarters.
2. If you are approved for a Habitat Home, we ask that you be willing to join in Habitat’s Family Support Program to learn and practice budgeting, home repair and maintenance.
3. If approved for a Habitat home, we ask that you be willing to work 300 to 500 hours of sweat-equity.  Your immediate family needs to put in at least 50 percent of the hours, and other family and friends may help with the rest.  Families are expected to assist in the construction of Wild Rivers Habitat for Humanity homes.
4. We build throughout Polk and Burnett Counties on donated or significantly discounted land. We cannot build where you choose. If you are selected but do not want to live where we have land available, we will go to the next family in line and move you to second place. If you refuse a second time, you can re-apply after 12 months.
5. If approved for a Habitat home, you will be required to start making $100 monthly payments into an escrow account to accrue $1500 for a down payment and closing costs. If for whatever reason the relationship ends between WRHFH and your family, these funds will be returned.
6. If you are approved for a home and if you meet the sweat-equity, down payment and partnering requirements, then we will partner with you to build a house.  Habitat house payments include taxes and insurance and are about $500.00 per month.  Habitat loans are at zero percent interest. The house payments will be used by Habitat to build more houses with other families.  This requires that you make your payments on time.  Utilities will be an additional cost to you each month.
7. Be sure you answer all questions on the application.  Failure to carefully complete all parts of the application form could delay consideration and may even keep your application from being processed.
8. A non-refundable $20 application fee will be included with your application.

Click here to download the application.