Family Selection Committee Member

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Help recruit and assist families that apply to purchase a Habitat home. Guide and support the selected homebuyers through the process of partnering and building their home-i.e. help them track their sweat equity hours and attend required classes, up to and beyond move in and closing. Help screen homebuyer applications and make recommendations to the Board of Directors. Assist in recordkeeping and communications.

Committee Purpose: The Family Selection Committee’s purpose is to put God’s love into action to assist low income families to purchase simple, decent, and affordable homes. We select Habitat partners based on need, willingness to partner (sweat equity), and ability make mortgage payments, without regard to race, religion, sex, language or culture. The committee consists of volunteers and staff and one Board director.

Committee Goal: We will be recruiting and partnering with approximately 24 families over the next 5 years, beginning in 2019.

Time Commitment:

We meet the second Thursday of every month 5:30-6:30. Additional meetings are scheduled during the application phase, usually 3 or 4 meetings at various community locations. One or two home visits of applicants per round of Family Selection. Family liaisons will maintain communication throughout the homebuilding process. Subcommittees could be formed that would meet on an ad hoc basis.

Volunteer & Committee Responsibilities:

Tasks that committee members may work on include:

• Attending informational meetings and assisting families to fill out paperwork
• Organizing application files and documentation of communication, checklists and record keeping
• Communicating via email or phone with applicants
• Screening pre-applications
• Making home visits to assess housing situation and housing need
• Reviewing applications for creditworthiness and ability to pay (Qualified Loan Originators)
• Acting as a liaison for a family- maintaining communication, visiting the construction site, monitoring sweat equity hours, scheduling homeowner classes and advising.

The committee selects qualified partner families and makes recommendations for the Board of Director’s approval through an established and lawful process.

Preferred Skills/Abilities

• A desire to help low income families become stable through homeownership
• The ability to maintain confidentiality with regard to applicant’s personal information
• The ability to work with a wide variety of people from all walks of life and to make decisions without bias; to be sensitive to the issues facing the family, such as poverty and substandard housing
• Qualified Loan Originator or willingness to become a QLO (Mortgage underwriting experience)
• Experience working with low income families from a wide range of backgrounds

Benefits of joining the committee:

• The joy of seeing a family gain stability, safety, and the realization of the dream of homeownership
• Work alongside a family as they help build their own home. Get to know their "story"
• Gain a deeper understanding of the obstacles and issues low income families face

Maximum Committee Size: Committee could consist of 2 staff, 1 Board member, 2-3 QLO volunteers, 4-5 non-QLO volunteers.

Committee Members Needed: 1-2 QLO volunteers and 2-3 non-QLO volunteers.

How to apply: Please register on our website to attend a new volunteer orientation at habitatsnohomish.org/volunteer. Additionally, please inform the person running orientation of your interest in the committee, so we can connect you with the committee. All volunteers must attend a new volunteer orientation. Questions about our committees can be directed to Karisa Lee at klee@habitatsnohomish.org.