Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley accepting applications for three homes

Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley is currently accepting applications for three homes, one in Columbia Falls and two in Kalispell. The house in Columbia Falls is a pre-existing Habitat home at 19 Mitchell Way. It is a two-bedroom, one-bath home. The two homes to be built later this year in Kalispell are duplex-style townhouses with attached garages. The townhouses will also be two-bedroom units with a bath and a half. Habitat Flathead intends to start construction on a 3+ bedroom house in Columbia Falls later this year but is not taking applications for that house yet.

In order to qualify for a Habitat Flathead home, the household income must fall within 30-80% of Flathead County’s revised 2024 area median Income. The guidelines for this income range changed as of July 12, 2024, and now the range for a one to four person household is $31,200 to $70,700 per year, and $35,010 to $93,350 per year for a five to eight person household.

Habitat applicants must currently be facing insecure, unsafe, or too expensive living conditions. They must also be able to afford a monthly mortgage for 30 years and pay $3,500 for closing costs. All Habitat for Humanity homeowners must also contribute “sweat equity” to their homes. Habitat Flathead requires homeowners to work 275 hours toward building their own home or someone else’s prior to moving into their house. On top of this, the homeowners must also organize two volunteer days with friends and family building their home.

The deadline for applications are as follows: July 31, 2024, for the Columbia Falls home and August 15, 2024, for the two Kalispell townhouses. People interested in applying for one of these homes should review the application requirements on the Habitat Flathead website https://www.habitatflathead.org/homeownership

“We are encouraging people to start the application process. It is just as rigorous as applying for a mortgage through a private-sector lender so applicants will have to submit tax returns, proof of income, etc.,” Habitat Flathead Executive Director MaryBeth Morand said. “If an applicant meets all the criteria but they are not selected, we also encourage them to apply again. Households are selected on the basis of their viability as homeowners as well as the vulnerability of their current shelter situation.”

Habitat for Humanity of Flathead Valley welcomes the generous donation of volunteer labor and monetary gifts. Please donate at https://www.habitatflathead.org/donate or send checks to 2535 Hwy 93 S, Kalispell, MT 59901.