Musicians' Village - Who Can Live in Musicians' Village?

Who Can Live in Musicians' Village?

Habitat is an equal opportunity housing organization, and non-musicians will also live in the village. Musicians are given no priority for housing over any other applicant. However, musicians who lived in New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina and are in need of safe, affordable housing are encouraged to apply for the program.

The selection process is based on three basic criteria: Need for Shelter, Ability to Pay, and Willingness to Partner. This is true for all Habitat communities, not just Musicians' Village.

Jim Pate reminds potential applicants that Habitat is not a giveaway program. Each homeowner is responsible for paying an interest-free mortgage, normally for 20 years. Volunteer support and donations allow the housing to be sold at an affordable price. The average mortgage payment is about $550 a month. Homeowner families also contribute 350 hours of "sweat equity" in the form of labor on the construction of their homes and other Habitat homes.

Musicians interested in living in the village should call Habitat's homeowner hotline, according to Jim Pate.

Musicians are often paid in cash and haven't always filed tax returns, and Habitat is working with musicians to find new and innovative approaches for income verification. Habitat for Humanity’s Family Services Coordinator, Sarrah Evans, explains that for one applicant, she photocopied a spiral-bound notebook of upcoming gigs to verify upcoming income. Musicians who have received a denial letter are urged by Evans to call Habitat's offices, where the Family Services staff will explain, step-by-step, how to address any application or credit issues. Gambit Weekly, in January 2007, wrote that Connick and Marsalis had hired Jackie Harris, (former director of the New Orleans Music and Entertainment Commission), to work with applicants who had failed to qualify, and try to help them improve their credit scores and reapply. The article also wrote the phone number musicians can contact Harris at.

As of January 2007, 30 musicians have been officially accepted as Habitat partner families, with an additional 120 working their way through the process. When construction is completed, the majority of those whose houses will make up the core will be musicians.

Applicants are ineligible if they have open collection accounts on their credit report, federal judgments or tax liens, etc. Applicants are also ineligible if they have bankruptcies within the past two years. If Applicants have declared bankruptcy, it must have been discharged at least two years ago. The nature of home-ownership makes these restrictions necessary, as property could be seized for payment of past debts.