Sweat Equity

Families are required to complete 500 hours of work in partnership with Habitat – 400 hours before being assigned a house and 100 hours after accepting a house.  Each family is given a booklet for recording their hours.  Hours worked must be approved by a construction supervisor or by the Director of Families Services.  The Director of Family Services maintains a record of hours completed and confirms that families have met their requirement as follows:

1. Families with two adults may have 100 of the 500 hours donated by friends or relatives.

2. A single parent may have 200 of the 500 hours donated by friends or relatives.

3. Families with three or more people age 16 or older must work 500 hours themselves.

We encourage all family members age 16 or older to work towards completing family hours.  Teens aged 16 and 17 can earn full credit for hours for work depending upon how able and willing they are to work.

Families are expected to work regularly towards completing their hours.  Those who are absent for 3 months without approval from the Director of Family Services, will be dropped from the program.  If a house is not ready for a family when they have completed 400 hours, we expect that they will maintain regular contact with Habitat.

We will not discriminate against people with disabilities and will do what is possible to adapt to their disability but the requisite sweat equity hours must be completed in support of Habitat in a pre-approved manner.