The search is on for the next three Covington County Habitat for Humanity families, and residents will have two opportunities this week to apply.

Dale Pancake, the executive director of the local HFH chapter, said Tuesday that there is only one family “on deck” to receive the next Habitat house.

HFH is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization dedicated to building simple, decent, affordable housing in partnership with people in need. To date, the local chapter has constructed three homes – one in Opp, Andalusia and Florala.

Volunteers worked the last two weekends on the county’s fourth Habitat home.

“Things have progressed so nicely at the build, but we’re ready to start looking ahead to the next one,” Pancake said. “To do that, we need at least three partner families.”

Meetings will be held on Thurs., Feb. 21, at the Florala Senior Center at 5 p.m. and on Fri., Feb. 23, at the Andalusia Public Library Dixon Room at 10 a.m.

Pancake said to qualify, families must meet certain guidelines, including income, one’s actual housing need based on the suitability of one’s current home; the willingness to partner with Habitat and one’s ability to repay the mortgage loan.

Families must work at least 100 “sweat equity hours” at a Habitat site, and since there is only one other upcoming build in the works, new families are needed, he said.

“The night’s meetings will consist of a short presentation, about 15 minutes or so about Habitat, and then, families will meet with a representative who will go step-by-step through the application process,” he said. “All-in-all, it’s about a 30 minute process to apply,” he said.

Applications will not be handed out and must be filled out on site, he said.

Applicants must bring two months of pay stubs, all monthly bills such as power, cell phone, etc., and two months of bank statements.