Need assistance with homeownership application documents?
If you’re applying for the Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity homeownership program, you will need to submit several documents with your application.
To make your application process a little easier, we’ve listed the necessary materials and some helpful tips on where to find them.
Scroll down to view the required documents.
If you still have questions, please call 218-359-0814 to schedule an appointment with the Homeowner Services Coordinator, Carissa. Walk-in appointments will NOT be accepted.
Application Sections
Application Household Members
On the application you will provide the name, birthdate, gender, and relationship to you for anyone who will be living with you. This includes both children and adults.
Letter Explaining the need for a Habitat Home
This could be a handwritten or typed letter explaining why you would make a good Habitat for Humanity Partner Family, your need for housing, and outline some of the challenges that you’ve experienced in the past.
If you are completing the paper copy of the application, make sure to fill out section 16 of the folded packet or use a separate page if you need more space.
Color Photo ID of Adults
This could be your MN or ND Driver’s License, your MN or ND ID Card, your Passport, or your US Permanent Resident Card. If you don’t have a scanner at home, you can take a photo of your ID with your phone, email it to yourself and upload it into your application. You can also “scan” your ID with a mobile app like Adobe Scan and upload it to your application or email it to yourself.
If you don’t have a Minnesota or North Dakota photo ID, contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Proof of Eligibility to Reside and Work in the USA
Everyone age 18 years of age and older in the household must submit one of the following:
- Birth Certificate or Proof of US Citizenship
- Permanent Resident’s Card or Landed Immigrant Papers
- Temporary Work Visa for all family members planning to live in the household.
Rental Information
Each applicant must submit the following documents:
- A copy of the current lease for the rental property.
- Rental Assistance Award Letter or Section 8 Housing Letter.
Also, one of the following needs to be included to show the rent payment history:
- Most recent 12 months of cancelled checks or rent receipts.
- Bank statements showing the current rent payments.
- A letter from your landlord explaining the amount of rent due per month and your rent payment history for the past 12 months.
Income Information from a job (for all household members age 18 and older)
The following documents are required for income that is earned by all household members that are employed:
- Most recent 2 years of W2’s for each job
- 3 most recent months of paystubs.
To verify how much income the adults in your household earns, you will need to print, copy, or save pay statements for 3 months (~12 weeks). Some jobs pay every week, every two weeks, or once a month. If you, or your adult household members, have more than one job, please provide the 3 most recent months of pay stubs from each job. This includes full-time, part-time, seasonal, and temporary work.
If you’re not sure what a pay stub should look like, here’s an example.
Employment Verification Letter
To verify when you started at each job, and your regular hours and pay, you will need to ask your employer to write or fill out an employment verification. Ask your Human Resources Department or your boss to provide a letter that includes:
- The date you were hired
- The number of regular hours you work per week
- Your wage per hour.
If you have more than one job, you need a letter from each employer.
This letter will verify that you have been employed at least one year at the company, or two years if you are self-employed. This is one of the required documents for your application. Want to see an example letter? Click here.
Some employers like to fill in a form, so you can print or send this form to them or use an outside source to verify employment, like The Work Number. Your employer can provide you with the company code for future verification.
Verification of “other” income
When we say “other income,” we’re talking about alimony, child support, or regular income received from parents or relatives. If you receive any of these, please provide these two items:
- Most recent 6-month history of payments
- A notarized letter (or similar agreement) to verify how much you receive and how often you receive the payments
Proof of payments may be shown on 6 months of bank statements of deposits or by providing the statements from your online state-run child support account – Minnesota or North Dakota.
Benefit Income Verification Letter
If anyone in your household receives income from a government program such as Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or Retirement, Survivors, Disability Insurance (RSDI), we’ll need you to provide the most recent benefit verification letters.
If you don’t have the verification documents in your files at home, they are available online or by mail. You may need to create an account to get the document online. If you need help opening an account, here’s a resource that will walk you through it. All the instructions are in English. To open an online account, you must be at least 18 years old and have a valid email address, a Social Security number, and a U.S. mailing address.
If you need further assistance, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
Tax Information
All individuals must provide their past 2 years of signed tax returns.
Individuals who are self-employed must provide pages 1 and 2 of their 1040 tax form, Schedule C, and Schedule 1 from the past two years. If you didn’t save a copy of your tax forms, you can easily find them online, or you can seek help by calling 1-800-908-9946 and following the voice prompts.
You can also pick up a tax form transcript in person. Call (844) 545-5640 for the nearest location.
To see an example of the tax forms you should be submitting, click here to see a 1040 form, click here to see a Schedule C, and click here to see a Schedule 1.
Verification of NO Income
If you, or an adult in your household currently have no income, please fill out and sign the Zero Income Verification.
Marital Status Verification
Please submit the appropriate document (as applicable)
- Marriage Certificate
OR
- Divorce Decree
If you do not have copies of these documents, reach out to the Cass County Recorder or Clay County Recorder offices (or whichever county they were filed in) as these are public records and they can assist you with getting a copy. You may need to pay a fee to get a copy of these documents.
Debt Verifications (Credit Cards and Loans)
For each credit card and loan, you must submit the more recent 3 months of statements, showing the current amount paid each month and the total remaining balance.
Please submit at least one credit card statement for any card that has a zero balance.
Retirement Accounts
Please submit the most recent QUARTERLY statement for all retirement accounts or investments. This includes retirement accounts that are through an employer or opened on your own. Examples include 401(k), 403(b), ROTH IRA’s, Simple IRA’s, etc.
Bank Statements
Please submit 3 months of bank statements for every bank account held – jointly or sole-owner for the household.
This includes both savings and checking accounts.
Bankruptcy Discharge (if applicable)
If any of the applicants have declared bankruptcy within the past 7 years, you must submit discharge papers with your application.
Combined Privacy Act Notice
All household members 18 years or older must also sign this document.
Unofficial high school or college transcripts
If anyone in your family is 18 years or older, earning an income, and going to school full-time, please provide a copy of their unofficial transcripts. These documents can be obtained online, from the school’s Registrar’s office or Student Services office.
Application fee
Now, the only thing left is to pay your application fee. The application fee is $40 for two applicants or $20 for a single applicant. You can pay with money order, cashier’s check, or cash. We do not accept personal checks.
This application fee is non-refundable. When you apply online, you’ll receive an email link to the payment page as soon as you submit your application.
