Frequently Asked Questions

1400 VanBurenWhat type of house does Habitat build?

As a general rule, we build small three bedroom, one bath homes.  The main objective is to build a safe, decent yet affordable home. Another goal is to improve neighborhoods so we often build in lower income neighborhoods. 

Habitat builds using volunteer labor as much as possible along with donated materials to keep the house price in the $70,000 - 80,000 range.  We sell our homes with no interest loans, keeping the monthly payments at about $500, which includes taxes and insurance.

 

Does Habitat provide free houses?

Habitat is not a giveaway program.  In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor - sweat equity - into building their Habitat house and the houses of others.

 

Homeowner 1400 VanBurenHow are families selected?

Families in need of decent shelter apply to the local Topeka Habitat.  An application is provided on the Homeowner page.  The family selection committee chooses homeowners based on their level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program and their ability to repay the loan.  Every affiliate follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection.  Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing the families who receive Habitat houses.

If your family, or a family you know, is in need of decent, affordable housing, click on the Contact link to see how you can get in touch Topeka Habitat for more information.

 

What are the requirements for becoming a Habitat Homeowner?

  1. Habitat uses a sliding scale based on the area median income and family size.  Refer to the table on the Home Ownership page.
  2. No bankruptcies in the past year and no SRS liens against you.
  3. We do credit checks. We know that people have bills, but we look for a pattern of paying regularly on the bills.
  4. We do background checks so that our homeowners will be good neighbors.
  5. A person must be willing to "partner" with Habitat and put in 300 hours of sweat equity on their own home or someone else's.

 

How can I help?

1315 NE OaklandHabitat's success in providing affordable homes relies upon donations and volunteers.  You can make a monetary donation, but Habitat also encourages individuals and businesses to donate building materials or in-kind services.  Donations are not directed to any specific house, but are used to keep the overall average costs reasonable for all home owners. 

Please check out the Support page for more details on how you can help.

Volunteers participate in a number of construction tasks, from framing to completing the finishing touches in building new homes.  You need not be concerned about your construction skills.  We welcome all volunteers whether they have construction experience or are willing to learn.  If you have special skills or are associated with a business that can provide an in-kind service such as drywall, roofing, concrete work, etc., Topeka Habitat would like to partner with you to help further reduce the construction costs. 

Visit the Volunteer page for more details on how you can become a Habitat for Humanity Volunteer.