Fuller Center houses are simple, decent, safe and affordable for the family and volunteer-friendly during construction.

Our Homes

The houses are also not giveaways and are intended to help homeowners lift themselves out of poverty and create a safer, more stable future for their families.

Our Families

Partner families are chosen by Fuller Center of NWLA after application and evaluation. Homeowners must be unable to obtain a conventional home loan or mortgage before we consider their application.

They are required to put in about 350 hours of sweat equity toward a new home (some of which can be done by family members) including volunteering on their home, other Fuller Center projects and administrative tasks, attending mandatory home-ownership and credit counseling classes or by doing volunteer work with approved area non-profits.

House Specifications

Fuller Center houses are generally between 1000 square feet and 1,500 square feet and are either three-bedroom/two-bath or four-bedroom/two bath homes. Guidelines are included for persons with disabilities to ensure that Fuller Center houses are accessible.

We allow homeowners to have some choice in their interior finishes. However, Fuller Center NWLA does not build custom homes.

The Fuller Center of NWLA, whenever possible, installs energy-efficient appliances and use energy-efficient building practices that will help reduce living costs for partner families.

Because The Fuller Center of NWLA seeks to build communities, not just houses, care is taken to assure that the houses are attractive and – to the extent they remain affordable – distinctive. These things are done creatively, for example, by choosing welcoming paint colors and making shutters out of leftover wood.

Houses are built mostly by volunteer labor led by experienced house captains except for when professionals, such as plumbers and electricians, are required to meet local building codes and ensure the safety of the house.

Local construction committees use general guidelines to build simple, decent houses for partner families that are suitable for the recipient and the neighborhood.

Fuller Center of NWLA is responsible for coming up with house plans, selecting families and raising funds to build homes.