Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, founded in 1985, is one of the largest Habitat affiliates in the country. It is unusual in running its own nonprofit mortgage arm, which offers the TruePath Mortgage with a payment capped at 30 percent of income. Here is how the program and qualifications work, plus its ReStores and ways to help.
TC Habitat offers two paths: buy a newly built or refurbished Habitat home, or buy a home on the open market with your own realtor using its TruePath Mortgage. The mortgage comes from TCHFH Lending, the organization's own nonprofit lender, and it sets the monthly housing payment at no more than 30 percent of gross income on a 30-year fixed term.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Income | 30% to 80% of Area Median Income; published minimums start at about $53,000, with maximums scaling by household size to roughly $104,200 for a family of four. |
| Residency | Lived in the seven-county metro for at least 12 months. |
| First-time buyer | No home ownership in the past three years, with exceptions; waived for military. |
| Credit | 620 or higher preferred; 580 to 620 or alternative credit documentation may be accepted. |
| Debt and savings | Monthly debt under 13% of gross income, under $1,000 in non-medical collections, and about $6,300 in savings for closing, insurance, and reserves. |
| Sweat equity | TC Habitat has moved away from a fixed sweat-equity hours requirement toward financial coaching and homebuyer education. |
The seven counties are Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington.
Applications are taken year-round and online. You start with an eligibility questionnaire, and if eligible, you receive an invitation to a full application, then submit documentation of income, employment, and credit. Review takes about 30 days, and applicants who are not yet ready are referred to a financial coaching program.
The full homebuying process can take a year or more, since it includes coaching, education, and finding the right home.
TC Habitat runs three ReStores, in Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis, and New Brighton, selling donated cabinets, appliances, furniture, and building materials, with free donation pickup for large items in the metro. Its A Brush with Kindness home repair program serves owner-occupants below 80 percent of area median income and has helped more than 2,500 homeowners since 1989.
The organization also runs a Special Purpose Credit Program to advance Black homeownership, with cohort coaching, flexible underwriting, and added down-payment and savings assistance.
Volunteers can work on construction and home repair sites at 16, with chaperone rules for minors, and at the ReStore at 14 with a chaperone or 16 alone. The organization works with more than 10,000 volunteers a year. You can sign up online or through [email protected].
TC Habitat has helped more than 2,100 families into homeownership since 1985 and holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator with a score around 93 percent. Its EIN for tax-deductible gifts is 36-3363171.
Buy a Habitat home or an open-market home using the TruePath Mortgage.
An affordable mortgage capped at 30% of income from its own lender.
Home repair for owners below 80% of area median income.
Three stores selling donated building materials and home goods.
A Special Purpose Credit Program with coaching and assistance.
Coaching and homebuyer education in place of fixed sweat equity.
Sources: Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (tchabitat.org and home.tchabitat.org) homeownership, TruePath Mortgage, home repair, and ReStore pages; Charity Navigator (EIN 36-3363171). Mortgage rates are time-sensitive and not listed here. Retrieved June 2026. We are not affiliated with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and receive no compensation for this listing. Spotted an error? [email protected]
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