Family Focus: Meet the Bounvassana Family!
Mary Bounvassana lives with her two children Jeremias, 12, and Alicia, 10. Mary is a single mom and works as a bank teller. They live in a two-bedroom apartment that is poorly insulated, with an extensive mold problem which has caused both of her children asthma. The bathroom sink, bathtub, and toilet all get clogged due to poor plumbing. Mary and her children would love to move into a new house where they could all have separate rooms and a safe area to play. Learn more.
Qualifying to buy a Habitat home
The Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East program is unique because we serve many families whose income levels are not high enough to qualify for other homeownership programs.
Families need to meet the following criteria in order to qualify for the Habitat for Humanity program:
Resident Status
- Must be a United States citizen or permanent legal resident.
First-Time Home Buyer
- Must have NOT owned a home in the past three years.
Need
- Currently living in sub-standard, subsidized, or unaffordable housing.
Willingness to Partner
- Must contribute 500 hours of ”sweat equity”.
Ability to Pay
- Must have proof of steady income and have satisfactory credit history.
- Must be within 30-60% of the median Portland area household income (for example, approx. $21,350 – $42,720 for a family of four)
| Family Size | Monthly Gross Income | Yearly Gross Income |
| 1 | $1,246 to $2,495 | $14,950 to $29,940 |
| 2 | $1,425 to $2,850 | $17,100 to $34,200 |
| 3 | $1,604 to $3,205 | $19,250 to $38,460 |
| 4 | $1,779 to $3,560 | $21,350 to $42,720 |
| 5 | $1,925 to $3,845 | $23,100 to $46,140 |
| 6 | $2,067to $4,130 | $24,800 to $49,560 |
| 7 | $2,208 to $4,415 | $26,500 to $52,980 |
| 8 | $2,350 to $4,700 | $28,200 to $56,400 |
| Add $50 to monthly income for each additional dependent | ||
If you meet our guidelines and would like to get on the mailing list for the next Application Meeting please fill out the Interest Form.
For other housing programs please visit our Local Resources page.
