Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco partners with working families and the community to build affordable ownership homes in Marin, San Francisco and the Peninsula. Donate: www.habitatgsf.org/donate Photo Archive: www.flickr.com/habitatgsf

At Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, our mission is to provide local families with a springboard to secure, stable futures through affordable homeownership, financial literacy and neighborhood revitalization.

Habitat never gives homes away. When a family applies for one of our homes they must undergo an extensive application process. Our main requirement is that families earn between 40% and 60% of the median income in that county.
Once approved the family begins to complete their 500 hours of sweat equity, our version of a downpayment. They complete this onsite, swinging hammers right next to the other volunteers. At the same time they enter our Homebuyer Readiness Program, a series of classes that teaches basic fincancial literacy. These classes are free and open to anyone, not just our partner families. After the home is done, the keys are handed over in a dedication ceremony. The family then owns the house with a zero-interest mortgage and a payment plan setup specifically for their needs.