Partnership Expectations

When a family is selected to become a Habitat Partner Family, the hard works begins. Although this may not be an easy process, your payoff in the end will be worth it -- a home of your own. Through this process, your family will learn new skills, form many friendships, and create lasting memories.

Here is a list of what we expect of you once you are named a Habitat Partner Family:

• Once the application is approved and voted on by our Board of Directors, a family will need to sign a contract with Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity. This contract goes over general expectations of being a Partner Family with Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity.
• The Partner Family will need to complete 50 hours of “sweat equity,” or volunteer hours, per adult in the household. Once these hours are completed, the family will be placed on the home-buyer waiting list to begin building your home. These hours may be completed by working on construction sites, working in the ReStore, helping in the office, helping with a special event, or by attending Education Classes.
• After the initial 50 sweat equity hours are completed, each adult in the household will need to complete a remaining 200 sweat equity hours before they can move into their house. Friends and family may help with these hours, which will strengthen your relationships with these individuals and help inform them about Habitat for Humanity. Once a family's sweat equity hours are complete and they become homeowners, they no longer have to volunteer or be involved; however, we encourage them to continue contributing additional hours of service and support to help further the work we do.
• Families performing sweat equity hours are expected to be actively involved in the work being performed, and achieve a reasonable quality of work to add to the benefit of the total work of Habitat. Work not meeting Habitat’s reasonable quality standards will not be counted toward the sweat equity hours.
• If a family becomes disqualified from the Habitat program, all work performed by or on behalf of the family will be considered a donation to Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity.
• Partner Families will be in the public eye and are asked to share their family story with IVHFH and the public, along with family photos.
• Partner Families are expected to do a final cleaning of their homes to prepare for the dedication ceremony.
• Families are asked to show appreciation to the community members who assisted in building their homes.
• Partner Families will be required to pay their monthly mortgage on a timely basis. When we finish the home, you will receive an interest free loan from Habitat for Humanity with a 15-year second mortgage for the difference in the cost versus the fair-market value. This second mortgage begins to be forgiven in year 8 at 1/7 per year, and by year 15 it disappears. Habitat does not make any profit on the sale of the home to you, and this second mortgage is put into place to prevent "quick sales" early on in the ownership.
• Partner Families are expected to maintain their homes.

Partner Families

View some of the families we have partnered with.