Build Your Own Home with No Down Payment

Mutual Self-Help Housing enables low and very low income families to use their "sweat equity" as the down payment on a new home they could otherwise not afford.

Training in Home Construction Techniques

NeighborWorks Umpqua's skilled staff provides pre-construction training, on-site instruction and supervision throughout the building process. Our build group members work together with volunteers to provide the carpentry and labor skills needed to build the homes. Everyone works on all the homes and no one moves in until all the homes are completed.

Eligibility Requirements for this Home Construction Program

This home-building program is designed for low and very low income households, which means your annual household income cannot exceed 80% of the area median income, based on your household size. Candidates must have a good employment history, clean credit and the ability and willingness to meet our labor requirements and get along with the building group.

Mortgage loans are primarily secured from the USDA's Rural Development Services (RD), the federal agency that also covers NeighborWorks Umpqua's program costs to provide technical assistance to the homeowner builders.

Energy Star Rated House Plans

Our 2-bedroom, 3-bedroom, and 4-bedroom house plans are modest yet attractive and meet the Energy Star certification requirements. This ensures that our home builders invest their labor and money building a home that will hold its value and keep operating costs down.

Our Home Construction Projects Build Local Communities

NeighborWorks Umpqua's Mutual Self-Help Housing program is able to assist 10 to 11 low and very-low income families a year realize their dream of homeownership. During construction, members from the community volunteer to help build the houses, reinforcing the sense of building community. In return, the community benefits from additional tax revenue, 12 construction trades benefit from jobs and a minimum of 6 suppliers benefit from the additional business.

Economic Development and Community Impact

Funded by USDA-Rural Development, Community Frameworks (SHOP funds), and NeighborWorks Capital funds, the Mutual Self-Help Housing program creates tax revenue for the communities. Our projects consist of 10-11 houses and provide jobs for 13 contracting trades and 5 to 6 suppliers. Some work is provided by partners such as Wolf Creek Job Corps so that their students get hands-on experience while serving their communities and the future home owners get quality worksmanship at a great price.

Our new homeowners have received education and learned skills that will help them to be more successful, self-sufficient homeowners, as well as contributing members of their new communities.