Home Ownership Program

Habitat for Humanity of La Plata County is committed to providing affordable home ownership opportunities. Our program works by making home ownership affordable by building to specific household size and an affordability mortgage. Habitat home owners pay 30% of their monthly gross income on their mortgage payments. Through this, Habitat home owners own their home, build equity like a home owner, and have an affordable monthly housing payment for financial health.

Habitat for Humanity of La Plata County evaluates applications to the Home Ownership Program (HOP) based on three criteria:

  1. Ability to Pay: Habitat for Humanity of La Plata County can service households that are 30-60% Average Median Income. All incomes can be used in a household’s application: a traditional job, Social Security income, self-employment, and more. Additionally, credit reports, alternative credit, debt, and other financial information can effect a household’s application in regards to the Ability to Pay. All households are encouraged to call our office for more information on Ability to Pay!
  2. Need for Housing: All applying households need to prove their need for housing. Through the application forms and a potential Home Visit, a household’s need for housing is evaluated. In La Plata County, many households experience different needs related to housing, including but not limited to: a nice rental with a short term lease, a rental with structural, utility, and other issues, owning a trailer and renting land, and many more.
  3. Willingness to Partner: Once accepted into the Home Ownership Program(HOP), a household becomes a Partner Household. Habitat for Humanity of La Plata County partners with them. On the Habitat side, affiliate staff work to finance, staff, and find resources for an appropriate home to plan for. On the household’s half, Partner Households are expected to complete “sweat equity” volunteer hours helping the affiliate on the build, in the ReStore, with take-home work, and more. Our staff work to fit each of our Partner Households needs, reasonable accommodations, and more through this process.

Households apply for the Habitat for Humanity of La Plata County Home Ownership Program(HOP); acceptance to this program cannot guarantee a home. The Willingness to Partner criteria, abiding by HOP policies (like maintaining the household’s income), and any contingencies agreed upon in an acceptance letter must be met. If all the criteria are met (and we hope that they are), a Partner Household will receive a lot assignment with an address, potential building plans/existing layout, or whatever that household needs to know.

Our Home Ownership Program works by working with local, La Plata County households individually and specifically. We always encourage a household to reach out for more specific questions and answers before counting themselves out. Attending a Question & Answer Session is a great way to learn more, and our staff can schedule one-on-one orientations if you can’t make a regularly scheduled time!

Attending a Home Ownership Program (HOP) Question & Answer is a requirement of acceptance to the program.

Households are encouraged to attend as many Question & Answer as required to get all their questions answered. All those in attendance will receive a complete application or additional copies needed.

If households are not available for any upcoming Question & Answer dates, they can schedule a one-on-one meeting at an alternate time or location.

To do so, they just need to call our office—(970)-382-2215. To see the upcoming Question & Answer dates and times, see our Question & Answer Schedule here.

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. In compliance with Fair Housing Law, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), as amended, HFHLPC does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, people securing custody of children under the age of 18), handicap (disability), sexual orientation or gender identity.