Thank you for your interest in the Starkville Area Habitat Partnership Program.
The Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity is a Christian mission dedicated to ending substandard housing in Oktibbeha County , MS. We utilize volunteer labor to keep costs low for the homeowner, but hire professionals for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work. All donated funds go toward the purchase of building materials for our houses. We build two houses a year.
A world where everyone has a safe, decent place to live…
What is a typical Habitat House?
The main mission of Habitat for Humanity is to provide safe, adequate housing for low-income families. We put a lot of work into building a high-quality structure for our partner families. We are not, however, a custom builder. While each house varies somewhat according to the needs of the partner family (number of bedrooms, for example), the basics are the same for each house:
- Covered entrance stoop/porch
- Concrete steps as needed at exterior doors
- Three-foot-wide sidewalk from front door to parking area
- Two-car parking pad
- Insulated windows with screens
- Window blinds
- Hardie Board exterior siding
- Stained concrete floors
- Lawn graded and sodded
- White bathroom fixtures
- White kitchen appliances (stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, vent hood)
- Electric washer and dryer
- Electric water heater
A Habitat house does NOT include:
- Garbage disposals
- Special doors or trim work
- Patios
- Garages or carports
- Fences
More information about our homeowners coming soon!
To be Considered for a Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity Partnership you must:
- Be a resident of Oktibbeha County for the past year.
- Need a better place to live.
- Have income of $2500 or more per month in order to repay an estimated monthly mortgage that starts at $700 monthly. (The exact payment depends upon the size of the house, taxes and insurance.)
- Have an annual income below the maximum annual income based on family size as shown on the following chart.
| Family Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Income | $40,640 | $46400 | $52240 | $58000 | $62640 | $67280 | $71920 |
Applications are accepted two times each year:
Applications will open again in the fall of 2023. A Habitat partner will be selected from a pool of applicants through our family selection process.
- Applicants need to provide all the information on the application, including income for all adults that will be living in the home and short essay responses to answer a few questions.
- After an initial screening, all qualified applicants are asked to provide documentation of income. A credit report is done before the application is presented to the Family Selection Committee.
- The Committee selects applicants to invite for personal interviews.
- After the interviews, the Family Selection Committee decides which applicants to visit in their current home to document the need for housing.
- Based upon the information gathered, the Family Selection Committee chooses whom to present to the Board of Directors for final approval.
- Every applicant is notified by mail of the results of the processing of their application.
Partner Agreement
To the future selected homeowners, you must sign a partner agreement that includes:
- Understand that the process from the application to move-in day will take one year or longer.
- Take three life improvement classes from an approved provider such as Emerson Family Resource Center or the Oktibbeha County MSU Extension Office. Classes must include one about budgeting and financial literacy. The others may include individually chosen topics such as nutrition or gardening. These classes are typically offered free of charge.
- Put in 300 hours of ” sweat equity”. This work is usually done at the building site but may be adapted for those with physical limitations. One hundred (100 hours) must be performed by the Partner. Family and friends may donate the remaining hours.
- Meet with Family Nurture committee monthly to prepare for the responsibility of homeownership.
- Repayment of a monthly mortgage over the next 20 years.