What is Sweat Equity?

Sweat equity is the time participants invest in earning the right to purchase their own homes. Following approval of the selection committee the prospective homeowner must complete the required number of sweat equity hours before being able to purchase their home.

Hours Required

For new construction a total of 400 hours is required for each homeowner/family. For rehabilitated houses, a total of 200 hours are required for each homeowner/family to complete. A minimum of 100 hours must be completed within one year of acceptance into the program and before a location can be selected. Habitat applicants attend homebuyer classes, work at the restore, jobsite, events, etc until they reach their goal.

New Construction

Applicants with only one adult must personally complete at least 200 sweat equity hours and may have up to 200 sweat equity hours donated. applicants with two or more adults must personally complete 300 sweat equity hours and may have up to 100 sweat equity hours donated.

Rehabilitated Houses

Applicants must complete 100 sweat equity hours personally and may have up to 100 hours donated.

please note: applicants are prohibited from soliciting current, unrelated volunteers to donate their hours. if a applicant cannot obtain donated hours, the applicant is responsible for the total sweat equity hours. if you violate this rule you may be removed from the program.

Earning Hours

Jobsite Sweat Equity Hours

Homeowner’s (the adult applicant’s) are required to do at least 80% of their sweat equity hours at the jobsite. This is at least 240 hours for couples and at least 160 hours for single applicants. No one under 16 is allowed on the construction site without prior approval (occasionally exceptions may be allowed when active construction is not going on).

Homebuyer Classes

Applicants are required to attend homebuyer classes and will receive sweat equity hours for every adult from their household attending homebuyer classes. Please do not bring small children to homebuyer classes.

Additional Ways To Earn Sweat Equity Hours:

• Work in the Habitat for Humanity ReStore
• Work in the Habitat Office
• Active Participation (working) at other Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco activities, meetings, groundbreakings, dedications, fundraisers, recycling program, etc.

Please contact the director of volunteer services for assistance at volunteeer@habitatpasco.org or 352-567-1444.

Reasons For Having a Sweat Equity Policy:

Sweat equity is not a simple programmatic requirement. rather, sweat equity is an exciting cornerstone to the Habitat ministry, designed to meet important objectives: partnership, pride in homeownership, and development of skills and knowledge. Applicants learn about the construction and maintenance issues they will face after occupancy. we would like applicants to experience the pride of homeownership and accomplishment of their goals. We hope that the hours spent working on sweat equity will be both enjoyable and rewarding and that the partnership we form will continue long after the homebuyer moves in.