Habitat
Homeownership

Build a better life by partnering with Habitat for Humanity Saskatchewan.

Program and Contact Information

Please download the Homeownership Informational booklet below for more details on the Homeownership Program and for the contact information to our Family Services Department.

Or you can contact us here:

Email us at tgoulet@habitatsask.ca or call 306-347-4661.

Download The Homeownership Informational Booklet

Habitat Homeownership

People in our community and all over the world partner with Habitat for Humanity to build a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. With our help, Habitat homeowners achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build a better life for themselves and their families.

The Habitat Homeownership Program empowers families to invest in homeownership. Homes are sold to qualified homeowners at fair market value and carry an interest free, zero down payment mortgage set at 25% of their gross annual household income. Before becoming a Habitat homeowner, rent often accounts for 50-70% of families’ income. Saving for a down payment to purchase a home is only a dream.

To learn more about our program, please watch the Homeownership Informational Video to the left. We ask that all families that are interested in our program watch the video before they take our eligibility quiz.

Family Testimonials

Katherine

“Our experience as a Habitat partner family has been life changing. That’s truly one of the only words I use constantly to describe the whole experience. Our lives have changed for the better since being in partnership with Habitat. The constant stress and worry about everyday life and finances has been lifted off my shoulders, allowing me to focus more of my time and energy on my children – everyone is happier. Our lives have really truly changed for the better all because of Habitat, the volunteers and all the amazing donors and sponsors. I now have a sense of pride, a sense of ownership and a sense of accomplishment – our future looks bright! I am delighted we were chosen as a Habitat family, knowing that this hand up has helped us break the cycle of poverty and knowing I’m helping to break the vicious cycle for someone else.”

Jennifer

“My son and I are living in a one bedroom plus den apartment in the north-end of Regina. Although we live in a nice building and neighbourhood, I feel that my son does not have the same opportunities that other six-year-old children who live in permanent homes have. For instance, he does not have any friends that he can go call on to play with after school, he doesn’t have the opportunity to go outside and play in the safety of a backyard and he can’t run or jump around in our apartment space. I am excited to meet other partner families, volunteers, and Habitat for Humanity staff throughout this journey. My family and I are eager to start with the build of the home and are motivated to put in all the hard work that comes along with this wonderful opportunity and, in turn, help other partner families in building their homes.”

Christine

“On May 30th, 2012, I sat in a room with seven other families, where we all learned that we had been chosen to partner with Habitat to make our dream of home ownership come true. It has been years since we received our keys to the house we have now made into a home and years since we became partners with Habitat. Our lives have both been changed and greatly enriched with all of our experiences. My boys are now more confident and involved in the everyday maintenance and cleaning of our home. They take pride and are eager to have people over, they feel secure and stable. As for myself I enter our home every day thankful for this opportunity that I otherwise would not be able to afford.”

Roxanne

“After two years of a successful partnership with Habitat, family situations can change and provide exciting opportunities for another family in need of affordable housing. It is a bittersweet move for me. There are a lot of emotions attached to this house and becoming the recipients of it. I am excited to be taking the next step in my life, but it is hard for me to leave this house and all of the hard work we put into it. However, I will always have the memories we created here in our first “real” home, and I will cherish those for the rest of my life. It makes me happy to know that another family will benefit from it, as we have, and that they will be able to create their own memories here.”

Habitat Homeownership Program Understanding

Volunteer Hour Requirement

If chosen, families are required to contribute 500 volunteer hours and have 1 year to complete those hours. Volunteer hours are managed by Habitat Saskatchewan and will be completed by our families either on a build site, at one of our ReStore locations, in the community, at a Habitat event, or working with Habitat on another project.

This is a lifestyle change and you might have to take time off from work to complete the hours. Habitat will ask the family if they will also have help completing these hours.

Homeownership Education

Once Habitat Saskatchewan’s Family Services Department has partnered with a family, the family is required to complete the mandatory online Homeownership Education classes. These classes are a mandatory and integral part of our program while you are working off your hours. The family will be given volunteer hours for their attendance and score. At Habitat, we want to make sure our families are successful in their homeownership journey with us, therefore we offer such classes as understanding mortgages, taxes, home insurance, financial obligations and budgeting, credit, home maintenance, safety, and many more!

Mortgages with Habitat

A home is not free at Habitat Saskatchewan! Habitat works with the family to see if they are financially stable to take on a mortgage that Habitat provides to them. Therefore, once the family signs their mortgage with Habitat and a lawyer, Habitat acts as the bank. Homeowners currently purchase an interest-free mortgage with no downpayment required. Their payment is always set at 25% of their gross annual household income and this could change every year due to the required annual income review that is a mandatory part of the program.

Eligibility Information!

Click the button below to find out more about our program qualifications and take our online Eligibility Quiz.

Eligibility Information

Application Stages:

Our application process has 4 stages:

1- Eligibility stage – review current eligibility (does the family qualify).

2- Full application stage – when Habitat Saskatchewan is ready to look for a family, they will engage with the families on the qualified waitlist by getting them to go through the full application.

3- In-home interview – once Habitat Saskatchewan has narrowed its search down based on the applications, they will choose which families to go interview and look at their current living situation.

4- Partnership Agreement – a meeting will take place at Habitat Saskatchewan’s discretion with the final selected family(s) to sign a legal partnership agreement to partner with the family and start the volunteer hours.

Habitat Homeownership

Program and Contact Information

Habitat Homeownership

Family Testimonials

Katherine

Jennifer

Christine

Roxanne

Habitat Homeownership Program Understanding

Eligibility Information!

Application Stages:

Join our Mailing List and stay connected with us!

Habitat
Homeownership