When Amber first applied to purchase a home through Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bangor, she had just started a new job and was looking forward to positive changes for her family. A relative had told her about Habitat’s mission helping people work with volunteers to build their own homes and secure affordable mortgages. As a first-time homebuyer and single parent, it sounded like working with Habitat might put homeownership within reach for the family, so she was excited to apply. 

Contrary to popular perception, Habitat does not “give away” houses. The nonprofit uses a rigorous application and screening process to evaluate applicants. Once approved for the program, future homeowners work with their local Habitat team to build or rehabilitate an affordable home while also taking financial and homeowner education classes. Habitat helps participants find and apply for a conventional mortgage and provides financing support. At the end of the process, Habitat homeowners have the practical skills and budgeting acumen to manage their new home and mortgage.

In Amber’s case, initially she wasn’t approved for the Habitat program. But the team helped her to understand what she needed to do to succeed in the future, and she got to work. (“Being declined the first time was terribly hard. I had to buckle down and get it done,” she says.)

While working to get her financial house in order, Amber continued to scour the area for a better rental for her family. The place where they were living needed a lot of repairs, and the property manager was unresponsive. They desperately wanted to find better housing. Despite searching far and wide, she was completely unsuccessful in finding an affordable three-bedroom place for the family. The lack of options was incredibly discouraging. 

Just when she was starting to feel desperate, Habitat staff reached out to her again, asking whether she was ready to reapply. She responded that she would do so, but recalls, “I had no hopes of success. It felt like a dark tunnel.”

By the time Amber applied to Habitat the second time, she already had taken on a second job, paid off some bills, and improved her credit score. Her hard work paid off – she was approved for the Habitat program. Within weeks she also received preapproval for a home mortgage from USDA Rural Development (a lender known for helping low- and very-low-income borrowers secure affordable loans). 

Habitat already had a building lot in Orono which became the future site of Amber’s new family home. The team began preparing the property in March of 2023. Amber and her kids helped from the start. Habitat requires that future homeowners invest at least 200 hours of their own time (“sweat equity”) into finishing their houses. Amber helped with site preparation, interior finishing projects, installation of the exterior steps, and other skill-building projects. Countless other volunteers contributed their time to help the family complete the home. 

Bob Sherman, a Habitat volunteer who managed the project, was an invaluable mentor throughout. He helped her learn what she would need to do to maintain the home, and still occasionally provides advice. (Amber says the Habitat team remains supportive – “they really haven’t left me.”) The organization also helped with logistics, such as setting up utility accounts, and ensured the financing package was complete. 

While planning and working on the home, Amber continued to work on finalizing her mortgage loan. As any homebuyer knows, there are many steps. “The education and guidance were the most helpful part of working with the USDA,” says Amber. “I hadn’t known anything about the process of getting a mortgage and closing on a home. They were really helpful. They answered any questions, and I knew I wasn’t being misled. Even now they are still in my corner! I know they are honest with giving me feedback on what I need.”* 

The family’s new house was a modular design, built at nearby Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC). Students in the EMCC Building Construction and Fine Woodworking programs constructed the home's components, which were then trucked to Orono and finished on site. It was the second time USDA Rural Development had partnered with Habitat for Humanity to help make the homeownership dream come true for a greater Bangor area family. Says Amber, “It was exciting to be fully involved in the whole process. The hard part was the waiting!”

By the fall of 2023, the family finally was able to move into their new home. Board members and volunteers from Habitat for Humanity and USDA staff joined the family’s friends, relatives, community members to celebrate the occasion. From the time Amber had first approached Habitat for Humanity until the ribbon-cutting celebration at her new home about two years had passed. But it was worth the wait, says Amber. “We would still be at the apartment if not for Habitat and USDA.”

*Background: Rural Development's Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans help make purchasing a home more affordable for eligible buyers with low and very-low incomes in rural communities across Maine and the nation. In partnership with local lenders, the agency also has a Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program to help low- and moderate-income buyers purchase homes with no money down.