What is Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity?
How are Habitat families selected?
What are the purchase terms of a Habitat house?
What type of support is offered to Habitat families?
How is Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity funded?
How many houses have been built or renovated in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and where are they located?
What is your foreclosure rate?
What are Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity’s plans for the future?
Is Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity associated with a larger organization?
What is the Habitat Renovation Station?

What is Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity?
Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that provides affordable housing for hard-working, limited-income families. New homes are built by volunteers who donate their time, money and materials. Each completed home is then sold to a qualifying family at no profit and with no interest.

How are Habitat families selected?
Prospective Habitat homebuyers must have a stable gross annual income of at least $16,000 a year, and must be willing and able to contribute 300 hours (sweat equity) volunteering in some capacity with Habitat. No down payment is charged.  Applicants undergo an extensive screening process, including credit and criminal history checks. A family selection committee, composed of trained volunteers, selects potential Habitat homebuyers based on their level of need, their willingness to become partners in the program, and their ability to repay the loan.

What are the purchase terms of a Habitat house?
Upon completion of construction of the Habitat home and the family's (sweat equity) hours, the property is deeded to the new homeowner under a zero-interest mortgage note. The term of the mortgage is driven by the house payment, which is based on income. Each family’s house payment is based on 20% of their gross monthly household income at the time of closing. The average house payment is about $400 per month, which includes three escrow deductions for property taxes, homeowners insurance, and home maintenance. Payments are often less than what homeowners were previously paying in rent to live in overcrowded, substandard conditions. All Habitat homeowners’ payments (principal) go to fund construction of more Habitat homes.

What type of support is offered to Habitat families?
In addition to building homes for limited-income families, Habitat offers a variety of support services for its homeowners.  To assist prospective homeowners in making the transition from renting to home ownership, our board approved families attend a required three-part “Homeowners College,” prior to closing on their house.  Topics covered by instruction during these classes include legalities of owning a home, homeowner insurance, property taxes, city code enforcement, household budgeting and home maintenance and repair, and lawn care.  All prospective Habitat homebuyers also attend two required sessions at Consumer Credit Counseling Services for intensive budgeting training.  Trained volunteers serve as support partners for each Habitat family to provide informational assistance and support throughout the home building and buying experience. This partnership is formed as soon as the family has been approved for a Habitat home purchase, and continues during construction and throughout the first year the family lives in their Habitat home.

Before a family moves into their new home, Habitat staff members conduct a walk-through audit of the finished home with the family to familiarize the new owners with the home’s systems and routine maintenance needs. Homeowners are given a comprehensive homeowner’s manual that was developed to offer additional informational support. Homeowners are also encouraged to participate in the homeowner associations in their new neighborhood.

How is Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity funded?
Habitat accepts no government funding for home construction of homes and is not a United Way agency. Primary support is received from foundations, corporations, churches and individuals. Habitat secures its administrative costs through earned income. All cash contributions received go directly toward the construction of Habitat homes.

How many houses have been built or renovated in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and where are they located?
The 427th Central Oklahoma Habitat home was dedicated on February 9, 2007.

Our first area of concentration was Metro Park, a northwest OKC inner-city neighborhood where Central Oklahoma Habitat built its first homes.  Forty-eight new homes for owner-occupant families have helped to stabilize and revitalize this neighborhood of older homes and working class families.  Some 15 homes in or near this area were renovated.  All of our other homes have been newly constructed.

Other areas of concentration have included another 43 Habitat homes built in the Shidler-Wheeler neighborhood in southeast Oklahoma City, 14 in the Broadway Park Addition in north Oklahoma City, and 30 in the Eastridge Addition in north Midwest City.  Many dozens more Habitat homes are scattered across all four quadrants of Oklahoma City, and our rebuilding efforts following the May 3,1999 tornados included 60 homes located in Mulhall, Moore (30), Midwest City (another 20), Choctaw, and Bridge Creek.

In 2004, we constructed our first home in Bethany, in 2005 our first in Guthrie, and in October 2006 we built our first home in Mustang!

We have completed work on the last of 61 homes in the Douglas Meadows Addition in Spencer, our first entire neighborhood.  Located at NE 45th and 46th Streets on the west side of Douglas Blvd., the Douglas Meadows Addition includes a lovely neighborhood park and is home to some 300 people.

In 2007, Central Oklahoma Habitat began building an infrastructure in its first full development project - Hope Crossing.  Hope Crossing is located on the West side of Kelley Avenue, just a bit north of Wilshire Blvd. and will be home to some 210 families when completely built out.  Home construction began in February 2007 and should continue for several years.

Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity has truly built homes all across the Oklahoma City metro, and looks forward to building in new communities that we are able to reach.  As the city and county, as well as private individuals, donate properties to Habitat, we will continue to invest in and improve more neighborhoods in the Oklahoma City metro area.

What is your foreclosure rate?
A Habitat mortgage is like any other mortgage in that the house payment must be paid. Central Oklahoma Habitat has had 13 of its 427 homes taken back through foreclosure.  This is a default rate of approximately 3%, and is lower than many banks and mortgage lenders.  Habitat homeowners work hard to get into their homes, they appreciate the opportunity to purchase their homes at cost and at no interest, and they know that their house payments are helping more qualified families get into homes of their own.

What are Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity’s plans for the future?
Although Central Oklahoma Habitat depends greatly on funds raised privately in the community, we are funding our day-to-day construction operations and a number of houses each year internally, with our mortgage base and with income earned from the Habitat Renovation Station.  Income from Habitat's Pick-up Service funds most of our administrative salaries, allowing every dollar of cash contributions received from donors to go toward funding houses.  In 2005, we funded four houses with Renovation Station profits and 17 more with our mortgage base.  The other 20 were funded by donation.  Habitat's current five-year plan includes construction of at least 40 houses per year through 2008.  By 2008, our goal is to be internally funding 30 of at least 40 homes each year.

Is Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity associated with a larger organization?
Yes. Central Oklahoma Habitat is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, which was founded in 1976.  Central Oklahoma Habitat is the largest of some 24 Habitat affiliates in Oklahoma, Tulsa being second largest.  There are currently more than 2,100 active affiliates in 100 countries, including all 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico.

Central Oklahoma Habitat is currently ranked 8th in the nation among Habitat affiliates in production of new homes.

What is the Habitat Renovation Station?
The Habitat Renovation Station specializes in the sale of new, used and vintage building materials and supplies, offering items such as lumber, windows, doors, miscellaneous hardware, paint and wall papers, electrical and plumbing fixtures and supplies, ceramic tile and many other items.  Located at 1800 N. Broadway, the Renovation Station is open Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  The business is open to the public.  Contractors, remodelers, handymen and women and curious shoppers can all find something they need. We anticipate profits from Renovation Station will fund at least four new Habitat houses each year.

Last updated 2/14/07