BUYER SELECTION
How We Choose Between Qualified Applicants
Given the crisis of supply that limits the number of affordable homes for sale in King County, Homestead has multiple eligible buyers for each home it sells. How do we decide who can purchase the home when there are more eligible buyers than homes?
As an Equal Housing Opportunity program, we avoid discrimination – against or in favor of – any protected class. Under federal law, protected classes include race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. Homestead’s non-discrimination policy states we will not discriminate against any homebuyer on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, creed, same-gender relationship, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or familial status.
We therefore select from equally qualified applicants using criteria that does not violate Fair Housing laws. We apply the criteria below to sort applicants to determine who gets the first opportunity to purchase a home.
Tie-breaking Criteria
The household with the highest points is given the first opportunity to purchase. If that person is disqualified or declines to purchase the home, the next person in line is offered the opportunity purchase. In the event of a tie, the property is offered to the household with the lowest median income based on household size. If a tie persists, the names will be drawn via lottery.
Number of bedrooms matches the household size
If household size is the same or higher number of bedrooms the applicant scores higher than if household size is less than the number of bedrooms.
Ties to the area
Does the household currently reside in the neighborhood? Does any member of the household work in the neighborhood?
Is there a child in the neighborhood school district?
Housing Unstable
Applicants will receive credit if they meet the definition for being housing unstable (see below). This must be verified by an independent third party via a signed certification.
“Housing unstable” means a household made up of one or more individuals, other than individuals imprisoned or otherwise detained pursuant to state or federal law, who:
-
lack a fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence; or
-
have a primary nighttime residence that is:
-
a supervised publicly or privately owned operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations or
-
a public or private place not designated for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, camping ground, etc.
-
-
are fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence or other dangerous or life threatening conditions;
-
are “doubled-up” temporarily in any other household’s dwelling unit;
-
will imminently lose their housing
Employed in the municipality or King County
Any household employed within King County.Any household member employed within the same municipality as the home they are applying for.
Turned down previously for a home in a tie-breaker
Applicants are awarded points if they have lost a tie-breaker for a Homestead home in the past.
ONLY APPLICABLE TO HOMES WITHIN THE CITY OF SEATTLE:
Ties to Seattle neighborhoods that have experienced displacement.
Applicants who currently live, have previously lived or whose family has historic ties to the Seattle neighborhoods on this map may receive community preference consideration in our buyer selection process.
For homes located within the City of Seattle, Homestead’s buyer selection criteria considers applicants that meet the City of Seattle’s Community Preference guidelines. Community Preference recognizes that people with historic ties to particular neighborhoods may have been displaced by economic forces including gentrification, or that they may be at imminent risk of gentrification.
The City of Seattle has identified particular neighborhoods, or “census tract’s”, in the city where displacement has taken place or is at risk of taking place. The qualifying census tracts are listed and mapped here.
Click here for instructions on how look up what census tract an address is here.
To receive Community Preference consideration applicants must upload the Community Preference Application along with any supporting documentation required in this section. More information about what supporting documentation is required is available in the Community Preference Application, download it here.