Smiles from Dustin Richardson, Gabriel Poole and John Daniel help inspire volunteers as they finish a Habitat house in Jacksonville, Fla.

2. Help Do the Homework
Preparing Partners for Homeownership

By Pat Curry

Through the long months of the selection process with Wiregrass Habitat for Humanity, Andreta Freeman of Dothan, Ala., struggled with the committee's ban on applicants calling to check on applications. When she got a tip that letters would be sent out the following week, she couldn't stand it anymore.

She called the affiliate anonymously, disguising her voice, to confirm that letters would be sent to all the applicants. Yes, letters would be sent out. When several daily trips to the mailbox proved fruitless, she tracked down her mail carrier for news.

Finally, she had a chat with God. After accepting his will whatever the results, she says she heard an unforgettable divine directive: "Go check that mailbox."

"Sure enough, there was a letter from Habitat," Freeman says. "When I saw 'Congratulations' in bold letters, I jumped for joy in the middle of the street."

Stories like Freeman's are familiar to Habitat volunteers. The moment family partners learn that they have been selected becomes part of their life story. It reinforces the impact of the work done by family selection and family support committees.

"Family selection has to be clear with applicants about the expectations--this is like a part-time job for a year for the family partners," says Kelly Willoughby, executive director of the Kaw Valley Habitat affiliate in Kansas City, Kan. "Family support has to be there throughout to be the bridge between the families and staff. We believe that education up front and the coaching and support we can provide make the difference."

As with most Habitat processes, family selection and support are highly adaptable to individual affiliates. For instance, Wiregrass Habitat holds orientation for prospective applicants and gives them only three days to complete the application to eliminate applicants who aren't really serious. They require 500 hours of sweat equity from each person whose name will be on the mortgage.

Eager to draw on the enthusiasm of the family partner's children, Wiregrass offers one hour for every A on a report card.

	Most Habitat homeowners have never owned a house. Family partners or nurturers help smooth the transition.

"The little ones wanted to help on the house, and it was breaking our hearts," says Tami Page, Wiregrass Habitat's executive director. "You should see this place on report card day. They come running in saying, 'Look! I got five As!'"

One change that Page made early in her tenure was to do away with sign-in sheets to track sweat-equity hours.

Instead, she designed coupon books, color-coded to correspond with the different types of hours (construction on their house, construction on someone else's house, educational hours, etc.). Family partners are responsible for having a staff person or volunteer leader sign off on coupons the day the hours are earned. Those are turned in monthly to the family support director.

"It's a better way to track," she says. "It goes back to equal rights and responsibilities. Sometimes I think affiliates think [tracking sweat equity] is their responsibility; it's the homeowner's."

Kaw Valley was one of the first affiliates to require homeowner education as part of sweat-equity hours. The curriculum now includes homeowner orientation, construction skills, landscaping and basic maintenance (lawnmower maintenance and repair is a popular course), and a four-class series on finances.

With the help of a Bank of America grant, the affiliate also has developed a hands-on repair lab, where family partners can learn such skills as taking apart a faucet or fixing holes in drywall.

In Omaha, Neb., applications are taken only in December, and applicants have one month to attend an information class and return the application. Executive director Nancy Hamaseth says the affiliate concentrates its advertising during that time frame to reach a large number of applicants. That approach creates a stronger applicant pool with more diversity while maximizing the affiliate's marketing efforts.

Once selected, family partners are matched with an advocate to help them navigate the sweat-equity process. An added benefit: The advocate can donate up to 25 hours toward the family partner's requirement.

The co-chair of Omaha's family support committee is Anita Rodriquez, a homeowner for more than 10 years. She sees herself as an encourager to the new families, and proof positive that the program works. She hopes that her involvement with them will help cement their commitment to Habitat for the longterm.

The way Andreta Freeman sees it, the role of family selection and support in home building is to set high expectations and motivate the family partners to take responsibility for their futures. It's not a job for softies, she says.

"I feel like anyone in family selection or support should be to the point," she says, "no beating around the bush. Let them know they're serious."

At the same time, Freeman says family support committee members can--and must--play a vital role in helping homeowners see their own potential and worth.

"Let them know attitude carries a big part and motivate that person," she says. "Call them. See how they're doing. Take them to lunch. Let them know that even though they're a low-income person, they can feel important, even after the process is finished. Then, the next time, they can motivate someone else."