A crowd sat quietly in the community room of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Cortez on Tuesday night, intently watching an informational slide show that outlined they can qualify for one of three homes Habitat for Humanity of Montezuma County is rehabilitating starting this spring.
Three bullet points flashed across the screen.
“Need for adequate shelter.”
“Willingness to partner in the program.”
“Ability to pay for the Habitat home.”
As the slideshow stopped on photos of the three homes in question, a toddler jumped from her mother’s lap, pointed to the screen and whispered, “Is that our house?”
The three homes, all in Cortez, were purchased by the local Habitat for Humanity chapter this December, from a bankrupt USDA builder. They’ve been sitting mostly built and vacant since 2011, said Habitat board member Carol West. West touted their energy efficiency, location and amenities like granite countertops, in-floor heating and new appliances. Two are located near Southwest Memorial Hospital on Acoma Street, and one is located near Harrison and Main Streets.
They are the first major housing projects the group has undertaken since its inception in 2008.
“We’ve waited a long time to be in a position where we can hold these meetings, so to see so many people here is very exciting,” she said.
West described the faith-based housing organization as a “self-help program” where Habitat provides partners — of all faith and no faith — with coaching and tools necessary to become better prepared for home ownership.
In addition to interest-free financing to keep monthly payments low, the program provides selected homeowners with guidance on monthly budgeting, appliance upkeep and replacement timelines, pest-control and more.
It also requires the input of 200 hours of “sweat equity” per adult applicant, either on their own home or another Habitat rehab or construction project.
Applicants must also meet income and credit requirements to qualify for an interest-free Habitat mortgage, which is based largely on family size and whether their income falls within 30 to 60 percent of 2015 Montezuma County Median Income data calculated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Poor credit history often hinders prospective low-income buyers from qualifying for standard mortgages, West noted that those with liens and bankruptcies that have been discharged for at least three years could still qualify.
“Bad credit can be an obstacle, but if its something like medical bills owed or something that you can get a payment plan worked out, then you can apply,” she said.
Only those who attend the official Habitat for Humanity meetings and get an official application can apply.
After Habitat verifies need, income, and ability to partner, the applications then go on to a local selection committee that determines who gets the three homes.
“We do it based on an anonymous point system; we’re not looking at names, only at what’s on the application and scoring applications with a score sheet.”
An informational meeting was held in Dolores on Mar. 16, and a final meeting will be held in Mancos on March 23 at 6 p.m., the at Mancos Public Library.