We are looking for homeowners to partner with HFHWCM in Montevideo, Benson & Willmar for the 2010 build season. If you or someone you know is interested in forming a lasting partnership with Habitat for Humanity please download the pre-application form.

Pre-Applications are available for download in both English and Spanish. You need to download both the Pre Application Cover Letter and Pre Application form.

English Pre-Application Letter

English Pre-Application Form

Spanish Pre-Application Letter

Spanish Pre Application Form

Habitat for Humanity of West Central MN is pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing  opportunity throughout the nation.  We do not discriminate against anyone in obtaining housing because of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, familial status, marital status, or receipt of public assistance.

“From the beginning, we have insisted on nondiscriminatory family selection criteria for all Habitat homeowner families, which we believe to be consistent with the universal love of God.  No one is excluded from that love.  Neither race nor religion determines who will receive a Habitat home.  Need is the paramount criterion.”
—Millard Fuller, A Simple, Decent Place to Live, Word Publishers, Dallas , TX (1995)

Family selection

Anyone wishing to purchase a Habitat home must complete an application and go through the family selection process.  Habitat for Humanity is here to give families a hand up, not a hand out.  The process of selecting a family in which to  partner takes approximately three months. Once the family has been chosen and agrees to partner with Habitat, then the construction of the house will begin.  Habitat focuses on improving life for the long haul.  This is not an overnight project.  The time table might seem long, but a Habitat house which is made into a home by the family in need is more than worth the wait. 

Click here for the pre application letter and form.

Habitat for Humanity holds to three basic criteria for family selection when choosing a partner family to purchase a home:

Need for adequate shelter
Families will be chosen who are living in inadequate or substandard conditions or pay over 50% on housing costs.  Circumstances considered may be overcrowding, deplorable physical conditions of the dwelling, or some other factors that constitute inadequate or substandard living conditions.

Ability to Pay
Families must have incomes that are too low to enable them to secure conventional financing from a bank or other traditional lending institution.  But, their income and credit history must be sufficient for them to make the monthly payments required on the no-profit, no-interest Habitat mortgage.  A Federal guideline is used to determine income eligibility.  

Willingness to Partner
Families must be willing to partner with Habitat for Humanity of West Central Minnesota in building the house.  This means fulfilling the requirements of Habitat homeownership by putting in the mandatory sweat-equity hours in building their own houses and/or other Habitat houses.   Selected homeowners are required to attend homeowners classes.  These hours are part of the sweat equity requirement.  Families must agree to pay a  $500 down  payment before closing on their home.  Families must  agree to make monthly mortgage payments.

The first step is to complete the Pre-application Form.  An interested applicant may call or stop by the office for the form. Once the Pre-application Form is completed and submitted, it will be reviewed to see if the applicant qualifies to apply to purchase a Habitat home. This family will then be notified when the application process opens for the new builds.  All completed applications will be reviewed and selected based on the three criteria.  The Family Selection Committee will make recommendations of those who best qualify to purchase a home to the Board of Directors. They will select the final families for the current builds.

If you have questions about the family selection process, receiving a Pre-Application form and an application, or any others pertaining to family selection, please contact us.