Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity acquires clusters of vacant properties within communities throughout Baltimore City.  Our construction staff, volunteers, and homeowners work alongside each other to rehabilitate a vacant house into a simple, decent home.  Construction crews fully gut and rehabilitate the interior of the house.  When construction nears completion, we hold a house dedication ceremony where the keys of the new houses are passed over to the new homeowner family.  Finally, the homeowners move in and begin to pay no interest mortgage payments back to Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity.  These incoming payments serve as a revolving fund, helping us to rehabilitate more houses.  

Potential homeowners attend a Homeowner Orientation Meeting to learn about the qualifications of the program.  They then apply to become a homeowner.  The Family Selection Committee reviews applications and selects qualified families.  Once accepted, the partner (future homeowner) performs 350 hours of “sweat equity.”  During the course of their sweat equity, the partner family is offered a house.  Most partner families work on their own homes as well as others in the neighborhood, which helps build a sense of community.  A few weeks after a house is accepted, settlement follows and the family moves into their new home.  Many homeowners remain involved in Chesapeake Habitat’s mission even after moving into their new home.