Home Ownership

West Orange Habitat for Humanity is now accepting applications for our Homeownership Program!

We partner with hard-working families in Central Florida to build safe, decent homes with affordable, interest-free mortgages. If your income makes it difficult to qualify for traditional homeownership programs, we are here to help you build a successful long-term future.

Take the first step toward your dream home by attending an upcoming Homeowner Orientation. Applications are only available at orientations.

Dream High, Apply and Qualify!

If you live or work in Central Florida and are interested in homeownership, please review the criteria on this page to learn more about the program and if it’s right for you.

Do You Qualify?

Review our core program requirements below to see if the program is the right fit for your family:

Our program supports those who need a safer or more affordable living situation.
Your current housing must meet at least one of these conditions:

Inadequate

Overcrowded
Transitional
Substandard Government Subsidized
Unaffordable (More than 30% of monthly income goes towards rent)

Habitat homes are sold to qualified buyers with an affordable, interest-free mortgage. To ensure financial success, applicants must meet these guidelines:

Income

Do you have a stable, verifiable income between 50%-80% of HUD Median Income levels for the Orlando Metropolitan area (see Income Guidelines)?
Do you have a minimum of two years of work history with six months at your current employer?

Budget

Would you be able to make a mortgage payment (no more than 30% of your income)?

Delinquent Debt

Do you have no more than $2,000 in non-medical delinquent debt at the time of application?
We require that all non-medical delinquent debt must be paid off before purchase of the home.

Credit

Do you have a median credit score of 620?

Bankruptcy

You must wait two years after bankruptcy has been discharged and are reestablishing good credit.

Student Loans

All student loan debt liabilities, even in deferment and when included in the debt-to-income ratio, should not be more than 43% of your income.

Are you willing to save for your own closing costs with guidance and advice from your mentor/staff?

We build homes together! Active partnership is a key requirement of our program.
Selected families agree to:

Are you willing to work 200 hours of “sweat equity” for a single head of household or 400 hours for a dual head of household (a minimum of 15 hours of sweat equity each month)?
Are you willing to attend the required homeowner classes – Financial Foundations - as scheduled?
Are you willing to be responsible for the care and maintenance of your house from the time you move into your home?
Are you willing to be responsible for repaying the purchase cost of your home in a timely manner so that other potential homebuyers can benefit from the Habitat program?

Income Guidelines

YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP IF:

You have lived or worked in West Orange County for at least the last 12 months.
You have had the same job or source of verifiable income for at least the last 6 months.

You and your family will be considered if your total income is within the area median income for Orange County (see chart), as set by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The income eligibility criteria vary based on family size and are updated annually. For 2026, the allowable range of total income is represented in the income chart.

A prospective homeowner partner must be able pass a background and credit check and demonstrate credit worthiness (no more than $2000 in collections - not counting medical debt) in accordance with West Orange Habitat requirements. Credit score must be at least a 620.

Register for In-Person Sessions

Your journey home starts here. Spaces are limited, so please choose a date that works best for your schedule.

Saturday, June 6

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Thursday, June 11

6:00 PM - 7:00PM

Tuesday, June 16

6:00 PM - 7:00PM

Wednesday, June 24

6:00 PM - 7:00PM

Thursday, July 9

Saturday, July 18

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Thursday, July 23

6:00 PM - 7:00PM

Thursday, July 30

6:00 PM - 7:00PM