Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County has opened its 2025 homebuyer application.
Allison Garrett, the director of family services, said the program offers families who don’t qualify for conventional mortgages an affordable option for home ownership, “whether that be for credit reasons or income; Or some families do qualify for a mortgage, but the amount that they’re pre-qualified for is not enough to purchase a house that would meet their needs.”
The program offers a zero mortgage rate, making repayment affordable for selected applicants.
Garrett said there are three main qualifiers for applicants: earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income, demonstrating a need for better housing and volunteering.
“Approved families must be willing and able to complete 300 volunteer hours in order to participate in the program and purchase the house,” she added.
The Champaign County Restore, a resale shop for donated items, operates as a thrift store that sells items at a discounted price.
“All of that revenue from the thrift store goes directly into our home-building process,” Garret said. “So all of that profit goes into our efforts to build and sell affordable housing.”
A limited number of families are accepted into the program, but Garret still encourages everyone to apply.
“Various homeowners that we’ve selected in the past have applied multiple times before they were able to be selected,” she said. “Sometimes you meet all of the qualifications and we just don’t have the capacity to build that many houses.”
The organization is also a HUD-certified housing agency. It offers counseling services for individuals who need assistance outside of the program.
“So if you’re interested in home ownership but might not be interested in our program and you want to learn how to buy a house, through a bank, we can work with you to point you in the right direction, assess your credit and create a budget,” Garret said.
An application and more information is available online. The application process is open through July 22.