Need help buying a home? Why one non-profit says you'll need to earn more to qualify | CBC News

"When Jodie Delaney bought a home with the help of Habitat for Humanity, she was at the "borderline of the low end" of the scale to qualify today she wouldn't qualify at all. As a single mother on a book-keeping income, Delaney, who lives in London, Ont., applied for the organization's assistance in 2018 and moved into her home a year later without a down payment. As with all Habitat homes, she also now pays a mortgage geared to her income."

"But with skyrocketing housing prices in the last half-decade, someone in her position today likely wouldn't make the cut for Habitat assistance. "The common-sense me says, I get it. But it would have been devastating" not to qualify, she said. That's because across Ontario, Habitat for Humanity offices have had to shift qualifying incomes upwards both to keep pace with rising property values and to make sure applicants can secure a mortgage, explained Karen Coviello, senior vice-president for Habitat for Humanity Canada."

"In Toronto, where Habitat is seeking applicants for a new townhouse complex in Brampton, an online eligibility quiz says it's looking for household incomes between $86,000 and $135,000. That's a significant jump in maximum income since 2023, when the Toronto location first made headlines for offering help to families making six figures. Windsor is the latest Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Ontario to adjust its requirements, announcing this summer that households with incomes as high as $135,000 a year could qualify for its help."

Jodie Delaney qualified for a Habitat for Humanity home in 2018 while earning a book-keeping income and moved in without a down payment, now paying a mortgage geared to her income. Rising housing prices over the past five years have pushed Habitat affiliates in Ontario to raise qualifying income thresholds. Affiliates have increased income limits to keep pace with property values and ensure applicants can secure mortgages. In Toronto, eligibility for a Brampton townhouse lists household incomes between $86,000 and $135,000. Windsor announced this summer that households earning up to $135,000 could qualify. Higher thresholds now exclude people who previously qualified.

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