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Habitat for Humanity of Beaver County – Home Ownership Program

October 8, 2015
The most important people associated with Habitat for Humanity of Beaver County are the families and individuals who live in the houses we build. Since the affiliate was founded in 1992, over 160 people have moved into our homes. The 55th Habitat house will be completed in the fall of this year, and another family will have a new home.

HHBC provides decent, affordable housing for low-to-moderate income families and individuals who are not eligible for a conventional mortgage. Our partner home owners work alongside our staff and volunteers to build or rehab their future home. We give them a hand up by enriching their financial education, encouraging them to participate in their community, and helping them to purchase their Habitat home with a no profit 0% interest mortgage. Those house payments are then used to improve communities and lives by building more Habitat homes.

Habitat for Humanity has shown that building a home does more than simply put a roof over someone’s head:
  • Health, physical safety, and security improve
  • Educational and job prospects increase
  • Families can provide stability for their children
  • A home owner’s sense of dignity and pride grow
Moving into a Habitat home improves the quality of life for our home owners, not only in their physical surroundings, but also by instilling a sense of pride and responsibility which comes with home ownership.

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To qualify for HHBC’s Home Ownership program, prospective home owners must have a need for improved housing. Issues such as overcrowding, safety and sanitary concerns, substandard living conditions, and paying a substantial percentage of income towards rent all fall under the definition of need. There are also federally regulated HUD income guidelines that must be met to ensure the prospective home owner has the ability to pay a mortgage. This particular requirement ensures that the new home owner will not be overburdened financially.

Once accepted into the program, the future home owners collaborate with Habitat in building their new home through hands-on involvement. HHBC also helps them prepare for home ownership by providing financial and home maintenance education.

HHBC’s Home Ownership program is currently open, and we are accepting applications for a new construction home to be built on Linden Street in Monaca.

In January of 2016, we will also begin accepting applications for our next property, located in New Brighton.

For additional details and information and to download an application, please visit our website at www.beavercountyhabitat.org. Our office is located at 47 Bridge Street in Beaver Falls. You may call us at 724-846-1630 or stop in to speak with our staff about the Home Ownership program or other volunteer and support opportunities.

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