Sussex County Habitat for Humanity helps low income homeowners in Sussex County who need home repairs.
Repair Categories:
1. A Brush With Kindness:
Exterior work that includes painting, patching, minor repair, landscaping or replacement of materials for the purpose of maintaining good or sound condition.
2. Weatherization:
Designed to improve the energy efficiency and overall indoor air quality and comfort of the structure, weatherization is a systematic repair process to an existing home bsed on a comprehensive energy audit, resulting in a defined scope of work.
3. Critical Home Repair:
Extensive interior or exterior work performed to alleviate critical health, life and safety issues or code violations, including a change to or repair of materials or components; a reconfiguration of space; a modification for accessibility; or installation or extension of plumbing, mechanical or electrical systems on an existing structure. Note: Painting is not a critical home repair.
Sussex County Habitat ONLY supplies the volunteer labor and expertise for the repairs. Any permits, tradespeople, materials or other expenses needed for the home repair are the responsibility of the homeowner. Please review our form for information we require.
You must remember:
1. You must be the homeowner and own your home for at least 5 years.
2. We only provide labor. You are responsible for all materials. (There is a small fee for incidentals)
3. You are responsible for: permits, tradespeople, materials, and any other expenses incurred.
4. Project must be approved by the board and this could take a month to do.
5. You must be willing to help with the project when possible.
Home Repair Qualifications
1) Income from employment (two months of pay stubs required as well as employment verification if available)
2) Verification of additional income sources (Verification of SSI/SSDI, Social Security, pension payments, child support, alimony, etc.). The reliability of these income sources will be considered on a case-by-case basis and is determined by the Construction Committee.
3) Information describing assets available for payments (a minimum of three months of bank statements as well as documentation of any assets such as retirement plans).
4) A copy of their latest Federal Income Tax filing, or documentation that supports their claim they do not need to file Federal or State Income Tax forms.
The applicant(s) will be required to give permission for the Affiliate to access a credit report. To qualify for a loan (if one is appropriate and available) the applicant’s long-term debt payment, including any Affiliate loan, cannot exceed 43% of their annual income.
