Application

Dear Applicant:

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. 

Please complete this application to determine if you qualify for the Habitat for Humanity homeownership program. Please fill out the application as completely and accurately as possible. All information you include on this application will be kept confidential in accordance with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.

Please note that you need to gather the following documentation in PDF format before you start the application:

• 2 FULL MONTHS of pay stubs and/or social security/disability benefit letters
• a copy of your lease
• 12 months of paid rent receipts/canceled checks OR a letter (on letterhead) dated and signed by the landlord indicating that rent has been paid on time for the last 12 months.

PLEASE NOTE: the person with whom you are applying for joint credit MUST complete this same application naming you as the person with whom they are applying for joint credit. 

To be considered for Habitat homeownership, you and your family must be willing to complete a certain number of "sweat-equity" hours. Your help in building your home and the homes of others is called "sweat equity" and may include clearing the lot, painting, helping with construction, working in the Habitat office, attending homeownership classes or other approved activities.

I understand that by filing this application, I am authorizing Habitat for Humanity to evaluate my actual need for the Habitat homeownership program, my ability to repay an affordable loan and other expenses of homeownership, and my willingness to be a partner through sweat equity and otherwise, according to Habitat for Humanity policy.

I understand that the evaluation will include personal visits, a credit check and employment verification (if applicable). I have answered all the questions on this application truthfully and accurately, and if any of the information provided changes after I submit the application, I will supplement this application, as applicable. I understand that if I have not answered the questions truthfully, accurately or completely, or fail to supplement this application as necessary to maintain its accuracy and completeness, my application may be denied, and the even if I have already been selected to receive a Habitat home, I may be disqualified from the program and forfeit any rights or claims to a Habitat home. The original or a copy of this application will be retained by Habitat for Humanity even if the application is not approved.

If this application is created as (or converted into) an “electronic application”, I consent to the use of “electronic records” and “electronic signatures” as the terms are defined in and governed by applicable federal and/or state electronic transactions laws. I intend to sign and have signed this application either using my: (a) electronic signature or (b) a written signature and agree that if a paper version of this application is converted into and electronic application, the application will be an electronic record, and the representation of my written signature on this application will be my binding electronic signature.

I also understand that Habitat for Humanity screens all applicants on the sex offender registry. By completing this application, I am submitting myself to such an inquiry. I further understand that by completing this application, I am submitting myself to a criminal background check.

This is to notify you that we may order an appraisal in connection with your loan and we may charge you for this appraisal. Upon completion of the appraisal, we will promptly provide a copy to you, even if the loan does not close.

Lender instructions for using the Unmarried Addendum: The lender may use the Unmarried Addendum only when a borrower selected “Unmarried” in Section 1 and the information collected is necessary to determine how state property laws directly or indirectly affecting creditworthiness apply, including ensuring clear title. For example, the lender may use the Unmarried Addendum when the borrower resides in a state that recognizes civil unions, domestic partnerships or registered reciprocal beneficiary relationships or when the property is located in such a state. “State” means any state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States.

• The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (“E-Sign”) Act is a federal law that authorizes the use of electronic records and electronic signatures in certain circumstances when specific conditions are met.  Affiliates should also consult their applicable state laws. Most (but not all) states have adopted the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (“UETA”), which has similar requirements to the federal E-Sign Act.
• This form is intended to comply with the disclosure requirements of the E-Sign Act, 15 U.S.C. § 7001(c)(1).  Before sending applications and other legally required disclosures electronically (e.g., Adverse Action Notices), Affiliates must provide notice and receive consent as indicated below. 
• Affiliates MUST also comply with ALL other provisions of the E-SIGN Act, such as (i) verifying electronic delivery, (ii) record retention, and (iii) data security.  See 15 U.S.C. §§ 7001 et seq.  See also American Bankers Association training: HFHI Privacy for Customer Contact Personnel and  Guidance Memorandum: Mortgage Rules and Regulations
• THE DATA SECURITY PROVISIONS OF THE E-SIGN ACT INCLUDE A REQUIREMENT THAT ANY COMMUNICATIONS CONTAINING PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (PII) MUST BE SENT IN AN ENCRYPTED MANNER.  ADDITIONALLY, ALL DOCUMENTS CONTAINING PII MUST BE SECURELY STORED AND SAFEGUARDED.

We are pleased to offer you the opportunity to receive information about your account electronically.  If you would like to receive correspondence and notices from us electronically, instead of paper copies through the mail, please review this notice and provide your consent. 

1. Scope of Communications to Be Provided in Electronic Form. When you use a product or service to which this disclosure applies, you agree that we may provide you with any communications in electronic format, and that we may discontinue sending paper communications to you, unless and until you withdraw your consent as described below. Your consent to receive electronic communications and transactions includes, but is not limited to:

• All legal and regulatory disclosures and communications associated with the product or service available through Habitat for Humanity of Lafayette.
• Notices or disclosures about a change in the terms of your account or associated payment feature and responses to claims.
• Privacy policies and notices.

2. Method of Providing Communications to You in Electronic Form. All communications that we provide to you in electronic form will be provided either (1) via e-mail, (2) by access to a web site that we will designate in an e-mail notice we send to you at the time the information is available, or (3) to the extent permissible by law, by access to a web site that we will generally designate in advance for such purpose.

3. How to Withdraw Consent. You may withdraw your consent to receive communications in electronic form by contacting us at info@lafayettehabitat.org or 920 N. 14th St, Lafayette, IN, 47904. At our option, we may treat your provision of an invalid email address, or the subsequent malfunction of a previously valid email address, as a withdrawal of your consent to receive electronic communications. We will not impose any fee to process the withdrawal of your consent to receive electronic communications. Any withdrawal of your consent to receive electronic communications will be effective only after we have a reasonable period of time to process your withdrawal.

4. How to Update Your Records. It is your responsibility to provide us with true, accurate and complete e-mail address, contact, and other information related to this E-Sign Act disclosure and your account, and to maintain and update promptly any changes in this information. You can update information (such as your e-mail address) by contacting us at info@lafayettehabitat.org or 920 N. 14th St, Lafayette, IN, 47904.

5. Hardware and Software Requirements. In order to access, view, and retain electronic communications that we make available to you, you must have a smartphone or access to a device such as a PC, either public or private. Examples of software are listed below.

• an Internet browser that supports 128 bit encryption;
• sufficient electronic storage capacity on your computer's hard drive or other data storage unit;
• an e-mail account with an Internet service provider and e-mail software in order to participate in our electronic communications programs;
• a personal computer (for PC's: Pentium 120 MHz or higher; for Macintosh, Power Mac 9500, Power PC 604 processor 120-MHz Base or higher), operating system and telecommunications connections to the Internet capable of receiving, accessing, displaying, and either printing or storing communications received from us in electronic form via a plain text-formatted e-mail or by access to our web site using one of the browsers specified above;
• Adobe Reader version 8.0 or higher.

6. Requesting Paper Copies. We will not send you a paper copy of any communication, unless you request it or we otherwise deem it appropriate to do so. You can obtain a paper copy of an electronic communication by printing it yourself or by requesting that we mail you a paper copy, provided that such request is made within a reasonable time after we first provided the electronic communication to you. To request a paper copy, contact us at info@lafayettehabitat.org or 920 N. 14th St, Lafayette, IN, 47904. We may charge you a reasonable service charge for the delivery of paper copies of any communication provided to you electronically pursuant to this authorization. We reserve the right, but assume no obligation, to provide a paper (instead of electronic) copy of any communication that you have authorized us to provide electronically.

7. Communications in Writing. All communications in either electronic or paper format from us to you will be considered "in writing." You should print or download for your records a copy of this disclosure and any other communication that is important to you.

8. Federal Law. You acknowledge and agree that your consent to electronic communications is being provided in connection with a transaction affecting interstate commerce that is subject to the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, and that you and we both intend that the Act apply to the fullest extent possible to validate our ability to conduct business with you by electronic means.

9. Termination/Changes. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to discontinue the provision of your electronic communications, or to terminate or change the terms and conditions on which we provide electronic communications. We will provide you with notice of any such termination or change as required by law.

10. Consent. By checking the Consent blox below, you agree that you have read, understand, and agree to the E-Sign Act and Indiana Electronic Transactions Act (I.C. 26-2-8, et seq.). You hereby give your affirmative consent to provide electronic communications to you as described herein. You further agree that your computer satisfies the hardware and software requirements specified above and that you have provided us with a current e-mail address at which we may send electronic communications to you.

PLEASE READ THIS STATEMENT BEFORE COMPLETING THE BOX(ES) BELOW:

We are requesting the following information to monitor our compliance with the federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prohibits unlawful discrimination. You are not required to provide this information. We will not take this information (or your decision not to provide this information) into account in connection with your application or credit transaction. The law provides that a creditor may not discriminate based on this information, or based on whether or not you choose to provide it. If you choose not to provide the information, we may note it by visual observation or surname.

The Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status or age (provided the applicant has the capacity to enter into a binding contract); because all or part of the applicant's income derives from any public assistance program; or because the applicant has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection At. The federal agency that monitors compliance with the law concerning the company is the Federal Trade Commission, with offices at [FTC Regional Office for the Midwest region, 230 S. Dearborn St. Suite 3030 Chicago, Illinois 60604] or Federal Trade Commission, Equal Credit Opportunity, Washington DC 20580.

You need not disclose income from alimony, child support or separate maintenance payment if you choose not to do so. However, because we operate a Special Purpose Credit Program, we may request and require, in order to determine an applicant's eligibility for the program and the affordable mortgage amount, information regarding the applicant's marital status; alimony, child support and separate maintenance income; and the spouse's financial resources.

Accordingly, if you receive income from these sources and do not provide this information with your application, your application will be considered incomplete, and we will be unable to invite you to participate in the Habitat program.