Imagine working a full-time job earning well above minimum wage as a teacher, a police officer or a librarian, yet struggling to pay your electricity bill or to buy a new winter coat because your rent or mortgage payment takes more than half of your income. That's the situation our famlies, seniors and persons with disabilities face every day.

Owning a home is a dream shared by many Americans, and in fact, by people around the world. Within its 13-county service area, Sheen Housing has assisted numerous families of all ethnic backgrounds and with varying degrees of financial resources to achieve that goal of home ownership.

Sheen Housing fulfills its mission by providing housing counseling, pre- and post-purchase/homebuyer counseling, Home Equity Conversion Morgage (reverse mortgage) counseling for seniors, closing cost assistance and mortgage reductions for families in need of assistance. To get a "leg up", sometimes all that's needed is a little boost.

Newly constructed home with mortgage principal reduction, making it affordable to first time homebuyers.

How to Apply
Sheen Housing's application packet is now online. You can retrieve the forms using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

• Criteria for Home Ownership Assistance (Please read this document before downloading the Home Ownership Application Form)
  
• Home Ownership Assistance Form

The following are some case histories that will give you an indication of the essential services Sheen Housing provides:

"Thank you for helping us to achieve our dream."

Rosalie had worked in a factory for years. She realized she would never have anything without a change in her lifestyle. She went back to school to get her GED. Promptly after that, she received a promotion at the factory and started making considerably more money. However, there was never enough money left over to save for a down payment on a home.

Rosalie always dreamt about owning a home for her and her daughters. It appeared nothing more than an unobtainable dream, until Sheen Housing provided housing counseling, closing cost assistance and technical assistance. Then, Rosalie was able to find a home that suited her family's needs, obtain the financing for the purchase of the home and receive closing cost assistance to finalize the purchase.

"From Fantasy to Reality."

Mildred and her son had a dream, also. The idea of owning a home was more or less a fantasy. While they were keeping up with the rent and bills, they never seemed to get ahead. Nothing was available to save for the purchase of a home. They thought they needed thousands of dollars to buy a home, and that you must have excellent credit to borrow money. These myths always stopped Mildred from pursuing her dream.

Thanks to Sheen Housing and its volunteers, Mildred is now a proud homeowner. She helps promote the work of Sheen Housing with anyone who will listen. She is on a one-woman crusade to show people how she put her fantasies aside and turned them into reality.