Making Homeownership a reality

When the traditional path doesn’t fit, we build another.

Habitat Saskatchewan Homeownership Program

The Habitat Saskatchewan Homeownership Program provides an affordable path to homeownership. We work alongside families who are ready for the responsibilities of owning a home but may not qualify for a traditional mortgage. Families take the lead in shaping their future, while Habitat helps remove barriers so they can build strength, stability, and opportunity through homeownership.

Habitat Saskatchewan has an established program for selecting future homeowners to partner with. It is based on household income, housing needs, and fit within our housing models. Homes are sold to qualified families at fair market value with no down payment required, and the monthly mortgage payment is set at 25% of their total gross annual household income.

Quick Find

Eligibility Information
Contact Information
Homeowner Interest List
Frequently Asked Questions

Program Overview

Mortgages with Habitat

A Habitat home is not free. Families purchase their homes through an affordable mortgage provided by Habitat Saskatchewan. Once the mortgage is signed, Habitat acts as the lender.

Homes are sold at fair market value with no down payment and no interest. Payments are set at 25% of a family’s gross annual household income and it includes property tax and/or condo fees. Each year, Habitat reviews household income to ensure payments remain at 25% to align with changes in income.

Volunteer Requirement

Families are required to contribute 500 volunteer hours before they can officially sign their mortgage. Volunteer hours can be completed at the ReStore, the build site, a Habitat event, or other activities approved by our Homeowner Services Coordinator.

Completing these hours is a commitment that may require adjusting your schedule or taking time away from work. You may get help from friends and family to help you complete your hours.

Book Book

Education Classes

Once a family partners with Habitat Saskatchewan, they take part in mandatory online Homeownership Education classes. These classes count toward their volunteer hours and are an essential part of the program. Topics include mortgages, taxes, home insurance, budgeting, credit, home maintenance, safety, and more. The goal is to ensure families have the knowledge and tools they need to feel confident and successful in their homeownership journey.

Application Process

1. Review Family Application and assess eligibility
2. Full application: Once we have a home available, we send out full applications to qualified families
3. In-home interview: Once we’ve narrowed down applications, we conduct in-home interviews.
4. Partnership Agreement: The selected family signs a legal partnership agreement to begin the homeownership process.

Information Booklet

Read through the Informational booklet below for full details on becoming a Habitat Homeowner.

Homeownership Info Booklet

Contact Us

homeownerservices@habitatsask.ca | 306-347-4653

You MUST make an appointment to have an in-person discussion. Walk-ins of any kind are not permitted.

Homeowner Interest List

Homeownership opportunities open periodically when homes become available in different communities. Applications are not accepted year-round, but you can add your name to our Homeownership Information List to receive updates when we are looking for families.

Before you add your name, Read our Homeownership Booklet 

  • Being on this list does not mean you are on a waitlist or guaranteed an opportunity to apply.
  • You may be pre-screened before being added to the list to ensure you meet general eligibility criteria.
  • Habitat Saskatchewan may randomly contact individuals on this list for pre-screening or eligibility updates.
  • We only keep active, eligible, and interested families on the list.

If you understand the above and wish to be considered for future opportunities, please complete the form below.

Click here

Eligibility Information

1. Minimum Requirements

Mapleleaf

Must be Canadian citizens, landed immigrants or permanent residents, and have lived in the Saskatchewan region for one year or more.

Budget and debt management

You must be able to manage debt in a responsible way and have not declared bankruptcy in the last three years.

Employed

At least one applicant must be employed full-time and have maintained a stable source of income for at least one year.

Child

Applicants must have at least one child under the age of 16 years old.

2. Ability to Pay

  • At least one member of the household has stable employment.
  • Can afford monthly mortgage payments not to exceed 25% of the family’s total gross annual household income (employment income, disability income, child tax benefits, GST rebates, child support, spousal support, etc.).
  • Household members must meet program asset limits.
  • Your are within Habitat’s income requirement of $45,000 – $77,500 (the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation determines the maximum income band).
  • Applicants must have a good credit rating with a good standing credit history (no collections or judgements against you).
  • You are financially capable of purchasing a home at fair market value while paying mortgage payments over a 30-year period.

3. Need for Housing

  • Be living in core housing need (overcrowding, unsafe environment, unhealthy or unaffordable).
  • Have at least one child under the age of 16 who will benefit from a safe and decent home.
  • Experiencing high rental payments (your basic shelter costs are more than 30% of your total household income).

4. Willingness to Partner

  • Contribute 500 hours of volunteer work.
  • Be an ambassador for Habitat Saskatchewan and represent the mission – this involves (1) understanding and agreeing with our model, (2) speaking about your experience at Habitat Saskatchewan events, in media interviews, or in videos to help promote our organization’s work to the public.
  • Complete all homeowner education classes.
  • Commit to Habitat Saskatchewan’s partnership agreements, mortgage documents, and policies.

Homeownership FAQ’s

Start by reviewing our Homeownership Booklet. These resources explain the program and if you qualify for our program.

Then if we are currently accepting applications, there will be a link our Homeownership page with next steps.

Yes, we pull a credit report on the applicant and co-applicant. This is mandatory in the application process and happens when you move on to the Full Application stage. The credit report will be a hit to your credit, and it will tell us if you have good, fair, or bad credit. A credit report provides detailed information on how you have used credit in the past, including how much debt you have and whether you’ve paid your bills on time, and if you have any items in collections.

We require you to always tells us about changes in your income and housing. If you lose your income, we may not be able to approve you, but we can reassess you when you find a stable source of income.

We ask that you reapply only if your situation has changed or improved. When Habitat declines/disqualifies your application, we will let you know the reason why this happened and what we require from you in order for you to apply again. For example, if your application was declined/disqualified because your income was too low, we would require you to only apply again when your income is between the income requirement.

Habitat Saskatchewan gives the family 1 year to get their hours completed as a requirement to the Homeownership Program. On average a family should be doing 25 hours in a month in order to get the hours done on time.

If you require more information regarding the volunteer hours, please contact: homeownerservices@habitatsask.ca

No. To ensure our program is fair and equitable for all families, Habitat for Humanity Saskatchewan determines the location, layout, and design of each home. If you are selected for the program, we will offer you an available Habitat home, which you may choose to accept or decline.

Homes may be either newly built or a renovated Habitat buy-back home. If you are offered a buy-back home, you’ll have the opportunity to view it before making your decision.

For new builds, families do not select the location, floor plan, finishes, or design features. Homes are built to meet the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation’s Modesty Guidelines and are designed to suit the size of your household.

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