The first step in the process of becoming a Habitat homeowner is to fill out an  eligibility questionnaire during an active application launch. It should take you about 45 minutes to complete. You will need to gather some numbers from all applicant’s Notice of Assessments (NOA), Credit Cards, Loans and Lines of Credit that you have.  This will be used to determine if you meet our basic requirements for a current Habitat for Humanity NWT project.
Please review the  program requirements  before filling out the eligibility questionnaire. Requirements may differ from one project to the next based on location, type of building, etc.
Based on your questionnaire, you will receive an email within 4 weeks indicating if you are eligible to proceed to the next stage of the application, or if you did not qualify. If you pre-qualify, we will then provide you with a full application and Online Informational Videos where you will learn more about our Homeownership Program.

The average process time from completing the  eligibility questionnaire to having the application approved takes approximately 2 – 4 months.

The average time from application approval to the occupancy/move-in date can vary from between 3-24 months depending on the specifics of the project and when the home is ready. After you are approved, we will discuss build timelines with you and provide an estimated completion and move in date, and keep you informed of the build progress or any expected delays.

There could be several reasons why a family does not meet the requirements. Please remember to review our eligibility criteria to learn about the minimum requirements before filling out the  eligibility questionnaire.

It is also possible that:

the town/location you applied for does not have any current projects available.
your debt-to-income ratio is too high (how much you owe each month to how much you earn), or that your income is above or below the income levels set for each project.
your family size is smaller or larger than the home size available.

Habitat for Humanity NWT receives many applications for a small quantity of homes. Applicants who meet all of the eligibility requirements are not guaranteed to get a home.

Building a home in any community takes time, land, skilled labour, and other resources, and there are many things to consider before building in a community. These include the availability of decent residential building lots, amount of preparation work needed prior to building, availability of a local community liaison, availability of local contractors and volunteers, distance from the road system, community size, and others. Because we are a small non-profit organization with limited funding, this can limit what communities we are able to build homes in.

If you are interested in a Habitat home build in your community, please contact us at executivedirector@habitatnwt.ca.

HFHNT’s Family Selection Committee reviews each application to ensure they meet the minimum eligibility criteria, and then brings forward recommendations to the Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors.

These recommendations are based on three criteria: 1)The applicant’s level of need. 2)Their willingness to partner with HFHNT and 3)Their ability to repay a mortgage through an affordable payment plan. Unfortunately, we receive many more applications than we have homes available and meeting the eligibility criteria is not a guarantee of becoming a homeowner.

See all eligibility criteria.

Part of the application process includes listing your sources of income.

Employment supplements can often count towards your overall income, but they cannot be your only source of income. One requirement to apply is that one adult be employed full-time, year-round. Here is information on what income can be considered in your application:

Employment Income (Full time/Part time)

Most recent Notice of Assessment (NOA) line 15000 will be used to verify taxable income for each non-dependent member of the household 18 years of age and over not in full-time education.
NOA supported by a letter of employment from your employer or your two most recent consecutive pay stubs.

Self Employed Income (Sole proprietor, Partnership and Corporation)

Three most recent personal Notice of Assessments (NOA) and Business Notice of Assessments (NOA), if applicable.
Three most recent T4002 Self-employed Business, Professional, Commission, Farming, and Fishing Income forms are required.
Shareholder Registry, if applicable
Additionally, self-employed applicants should also submit an up to date copy of business registration. 
Once past the initial screening, self-employed applicants must also provide the T1-General Income Tax Package indicating income, deductions and balance owing or refund for the last three consecutive years.
Additional verification may be required as identified through document review, during the application process.

Long Term Disability (LTD):

Not accepted if it is your only source of income.
May be accepted at the discretion of our Board as a supplement to income.

Employment Insurance (EI):

Not accepted if it is your only source of income.
May be accepted at the discretion of our Board as a supplement to income. It will be used only if there is evidence that the applicant has had regular employment over a three-year period, and EI was only collected between seasonal employment periods (e.g., substitute teachers)

GNWT Income Assistance (IA):

Not accepted if it is your only source of income.
May be accepted at the discretion of our Board as a supplement to income in situations where IA serves as a top-up to regular employment, staff may require additional proof to calculate expected income.

All income is verified using the applicant(s) previous years Notice of Assessment Line 15000 supported by a Letter of Employment or your two most recent consecutive paystubs. Self Employed Individuals will be asked to provide documentation on a case by case basis dependent upon the business registration type. If you have any specific questions regarding self employed income and how HFHNT's verifies self-employed income, please reach out to familyservices@habitatnwt.ca.

* Excluded Income is money you receive that is not included in your total gross household income in your application:

Canada Child Benefit
Canada Pension Plan Child Disability Benefit
Canada Pension Plan Children’s Survivor or Orphan Benefit
Foster Parent payments
Child support (Maintenance Enforcement)
Registered Disability Savings Plan
Residential School Settlement Payments

If you proceed to the next stage in the application, a credit check will be performed.

Gross household income is the combined income of the applicant and any co-applicants listed on the application, before income taxes. Households with additional family members, who are of legal age, and live permanently in the home and earn an income will be included in the total gross household income. It includes all income listed on line 15000 of all applicants previous years Notice of Assessment.

Here is an example of gross household income. Please note that this is not a real example.

Pierre earns $75,000 per annum from his job as a Government Employee.
His wife Catherine earns $35,000 as a part-time cashier.
Pierre’s brother Jean also lives with them and plans to do so long term. He earns $20,000 per annum from his permanent part-time job in construction.
This brings their total household gross income to $130,000.

The minimum and maximum household income varies year over year for each project primarily based on location.

A Partner Family’s ability to pay must be based on Gross Household Income as indicated on the CRA Notice of Assessment and must fall below the Median Household Income, by Community, as defined by NWT Bureau of Statistics most recent census data and greater than half that figure, for the year in which they applied. For point of reference, Yellowknife’s income range for 2022 builds was $74,000-$148,000.

Yes, you can apply if you are on paternity or maternity leave. However, keep in mind your household income will be looked at accordingly. If the return date is within six months of the application date, then we will use 100% of the stated salary on the application.

If the return date is not within six months of the application date, then we can only use 60% of the stated salary. As part of your application, you will need to provide documentation from your employer about your Maternity/Paternity leave, your expected return to work date and your position and salary upon returning.

Habitat uses a shared equity model to lower the cost of homeownership for families. Families can obtain a mortgage, through Habitat for Humanity NT, that is affordable to them based on their income and requires no down payment. We provide an affordable payment option in form of a Repayable Loan that is 100% of the Fair Market Value (FMV) of your home at time of occupancy. FMV is the price an asset would sell on the open market. The full value of the loan is due upon default of payments, sale of the home, full repayment of the Repayable Loan or after 25 years, whichever is sooner. Thus, giving families a hand-up to be able to afford and purchase a home that would otherwise not be possible.

How our mortgage model works at a glance:

Getting in the door…

Meet Screening Eligibility Criteria are met Home Ownership | Habitat for Humanity Northwest Territories
Gross Household Income (GHI) must fall below the Median Household Income, by Community, as defined by NWT Bureau of Statistics and greater than half that figure, for the year in which they applied.  
Gross Debt Service Ratio (GDSR) must not exceed 39%  
Total Debt Service Ratio (TDSR) must not exceed 44%. The Manager of Homeowner Services may recommend an application with a TDSR above 44% in exceptional circumstances. Calculating GDS / TDS | CMHC (cmhc-schl.gc.ca).  For example, a car loan bears a large monthly payment, however, the loan balance will be paid in full within 90 days.    
Liquid assets should not exceed $35,000 (savings that could be used towards a conventional mortgage down payment.) Consideration may be given to the type of savings (e.g., RDSP, RESP’s, LIRA, LRSP etc.)  
Supply copy of current lease, noting monthly payment amounts. 
Complete and submit accurate monthly budget, including outstanding debts, with your Home Ownership Application 
Must have a minimum beacon score of 640. The Manager of Homeowner Services may recommend an application with a beacon score lower than the minimum where a warranted reason can be determined e.g., new credit. 
Approved families complete 500 volunteer hours as part of their partnership with HFHNT, which can be completed in their community and on their home build, with the assistance of their family and friends.
Homeowner meets with solicitor to review and sign Mortgage documents
You obtain a mortgage, at 100% fair market value, through HFHNT, where the minimum payment is based on your income and/or the amortization payment whichever is greater

Staying in your home…

HFHNT helps keep payments affordable, initially set at 25% of your gross annual household income less property taxes (if applicable) and home insurance.
HFHNT will do an Annual Income Review as well as a Collateral Mortgage and Amortization Review once a year. Payments change based on your income so they are still kept affordable.
HFHNT will support you throughout your Habitat Homeownership journey.

Long term affordability…

If and when you decide to sell, HFHNT has the first choice of of purchasing your home, and will help another family to own an affordable home.
If the home is sold during the first 5 years of homeownership there will is no equity returned to the Partner Family.
If the home is sold between years 5-10 years of homeownership, there will be a 50/50 split of the change in FMV Equity of the house between the Partner Family and HFHNT.
If the home is sold after 10 years of homeownership, all equity in the house created through principal payments and any increase (or decrease) in FMV would accrue to the Partner Family as outlined in the buy-back clause of the Loan agreement.

If you have been informed that you are not eligible/did not qualify you may fill in the online questionnaire again when your status has changed to meet the eligibility requirements, or if it has been over 12 months since you submitted your previous questionnaire. 

If you were informed that you did not qualify after you submitted your full application, you may contact us at  familyservices@habitatnwt.ca, referencing your original application, to inform us about any changes in the original application that you submitted after six months. Beyond that time frame, you may submit the online questionnaire again to check eligibility for new projects.

Please note that if you re-apply and are found to be eligible, another credit check will be required.

Find the answers to our Frequently Asked Questions!