Membership Rights,
Responsibilities and Penalties
As members of S.A.F.E. Housing Inc., you have certain Rights, Rules and also Responsibilities that come with your Membership adhering to these will prevent you from receiving Penalties on your Membership. Penalties are only assessed as needed for violating your Rules, and Responsibilities. The penalties can range from small to being permanently banned from being a Member. The Rules that each member MUST follow are listed below, each member MUST adhere to them at all times, failure to follow them could result in permanent lose of Membership.
Military:
As a member of our Military as a way to say "Thank you for your service to our Country" you and your family receive a Membership Discount and Priority service for anything we offer here at S.A.F.E. from Ministry Services to Affordable Homeownership. S.A.F.E. will do everything in our power to assist you and your family as quickly as possible, no matter what your need! We have your six!
Tenants/Homeowners Membership Rights:
As a member you have the right to be heard.
You have the right to have your Rental Agreement/Purchase Agreement reviewed
To File a Grievance with S.A.F.E. after following the steps in your Rental Agreement/Purchase Agreement
To let S.A.F.E. know if you are dissatisfied
To contact S.A.F.E. and find out what your next steps would be in your situation
To contact S.A.F.E. and allow us to know your current situation, if you have followed your Rental Agreement/Purchase Agreement
As a member that is a Tenant you may contact S.A.F.E. if you are having a situation with your landlord or property manager, once we determine the entire situation we will do our best to help resolve it to the best of our ability and to the best benefit of our member; furthermore we will do our best for our members in their time of need.
As a member that is a Homeowner you may contact S.A.F.E. with any concern you may have with your lender, once we determine the entire situation we will do our best to help resolve it to the best ability and to the best benefit of our member; furthermore we will do our best for our members in their time of need.
As a member that is a homeowner if at anytime, you require assistance in your homeownership in such as needing something replaced, or fixed please contact S.A.F.E. and we will do our very best to have your back.
Tenant Member Responsibilities:
There is a onetime non refundable application fee of $25 for processing each member’s Application.
Each Member needs to understand their Rental Agreement and follow the steps outlined in their Agreement for communicating their grievance to their landlord or property manager, before filing a grievance with S.A.F.E.
Each member needs to exhaust all avenues of their Rental Agreement in filing a grievance with their landlord, or property manager before contacting S.A.F.E. to mediate the situation.
Each member needs to legally document their steps with their landlord or property manager, such as emails, written communications, sending mail by Certified with Return Receipt, etc. Documenting all communication with your landlord or property manager allows S.A.F.E. to more accurately mediate the situation, and if legal proceedings are needed it allows us to help our members prepare.
Members are ABSOLUTELY prohibited from making a false grievance, complaint, or documentation to S.A.F.E. this will literally result in the member being removed from S.A.F.E. and permanently banned. Furthermore, if the false report of any kind is deemed illegal by law, S.A.F.E. will reserve the right to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
Members are allowed to contact S.A.F.E. if they don’t understand how to follow their Rental Agreement procedures, or if their Rental Agreement fails to outline how to file or report a grievance, complaint or otherwise to their landlord or property manager. An associate of S.A.F.E. can help guide you through either the procedures in the Rental Agreement, or if it does not contain any procedures, help guide you through the process of properly contacting your landlord or property manager.
Members need to always remember to reference their Membership Number that they are given.
Members MUST notify S.A.F.E. immediately if they receive any type of correspondence from their landlord/property manager no matter what the type, especially but not limited to any kind of time notice such as 3 day, 30 day, eviction etc., failure to do so may result in delayed correspondence, a delay in help, a delay in mediation, or in serious cases a lose in court and an eviction/foreclosure on your record.
Members will receive a copy of these rules and regulations with their New Member Packet, if you are a member and did not receive a copy of these rules, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you in getting a copy for your records. (usually via e-mail)
S.A.F.E. reserves the right to update or amend these rules and regulations at anytime without advance warning to members.
During ANY issues with your Landlord/Property Manager, as a member of S.A.F.E. you may request advice from S.A.F.E. about a current or ongoing issue, even before exhausting all the avenues in your Rental Agreement. However, it MUST be noted, S.A.F.E. CANNOT give legal Advice.
Under certain circumstances the Application Fee maybe waived or deferred, however you MUST request a fee waiver or deferment before completing your Application and you MUST have good reason why you would like the Application Fee to be waived or deferred.
As part of the membership process member's MUST agree to send pictures, video, or both to S.A.F.E. of their current place of living.
Member's MUST also agree when becoming a member of S.A.F.E. that they will help other's through S.A.F.E. with their professional, or trade service that they do for a living. (example: If you are a contractor, you volunteer your services through S.A.F.E. to help other members that may need a contractor. If you are an attorney, you will volunteer your services through S.A.F.E. to help other members that may need an attorney, etc.)
Make sure that S.A.F.E. has a current copy of your Rental Agreement within 72 hours of becoming a Member, and if you sign a new Rental Agreement or find out it has been revised by the landlord or property manager, you will get S.A.F.E. a copy of it within 24 hours.
You MUST keep S.A.F.E. updated to any ongoing or current situation you are involved in with your landlord/property manager.
Contact S.A.F.E. immediately if you have followed your Rental Agreement and the issue with your landlord or property manager has not been resolved.
You agree to use S.A.F.E.’s Ministry Assistance for the purpose it was given for, for example if you receive Grocery Assistance you will use it to provide food and home goods for my family, you would not purchase tobacco or alcohol with the gift card. you understand doing so would cause you to be permanently removed and banned from S.A.F.E.’s Ministry Assistance, and if you are a member you would be removed and permanently banned from being a member, for abusing the Ministry Assistance.
You agree to submit original receipts of what you purchase with a S.A.F.E. Ministry Assistance Gift card, within 7 days of the date on the receipt of what you purchased, if you use the gift card at separate times, you understand that you are required to submit an original receipt to S.A.F.E. within 7 days of date on the receipt for each purchase you make, until the value of the gift card is exhausted.
You agree that S.A.F.E. is not responsible for lost, stolen, or fraudulent use of the gift card outside the use by the recipient. Cards WILL NOT be replaced in the event of any of these happenings, so you agree that in the event you receive a gift card you will treat it as cash, and follow ALL rules that apply to the gift card.
Homeowners Member Responsibilities:
Homeowners, S.A.F.E. will do everything in our power to help provide you with services that you are in need of, and also if you run into any situation with your current lender. Our main focus for our members that are homeowners is to get them through the S.H.I.E.L.D.’s “The American Dream Affordable Homeownership” Program as quickly as possible, as this will be your best option. However we will do everything in our legal power to help you through any difficult time you may have while in your current purchase agreement with your current lender. Our primary goal for our homeowner members is to get them out from under their current lender.
There is a onetime non refundable application fee of $25 for processing each member’s Application.
If you run into a problem with your current lender, you should try and resolve it with them first, if you get nowhere with your lender than please contact S.A.F.E. for further assistance.
Each member needs to legally document their steps with their lender, such as emails, written communications, sending mail by Certified with Return Receipt, etc. Documenting all communication with your lender allows S.A.F.E. to more accurately mediate the situation, and if legal proceedings are needed it allows us to help our members prepare.
Members are ABSOLUTELY prohibited from making a false grievance, complaint, or documentation to S.A.F.E. this will literally result in the member being removed from S.A.F.E. and permanently banned. Furthermore, if the false report of any kind is deemed illegal by law, S.A.F.E. will reserve the right to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
Members need to always remember to reference their Membership Number that they are given.
Members MUST notify S.A.F.E. immediately if they receive any type of correspondence from their Lender no matter what the type, especially but not limited to any kind of time notice such as Foreclosure etc., failure to do so may result in delayed correspondence, a delay in help, a delay in mediation, or in serious cases a lose in court and a foreclosure on your record.
Members will receive a copy of these rules and regulations with their New Member Packet, if you are a member and did not receive a copy of these rules, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you in getting a copy for your records. (usually via e-mail)
S.A.F.E. reserves the right to update or amend these rules and regulations at anytime without advance warning to members.
During ANY issues with your Lender as a member of S.A.F.E. you may request advice from S.A.F.E. about a current or ongoing issue, even before exhausting all the avenues. However, it MUST be noted, S.A.F.E. CANNOT give legal Advice.
Under certain circumstances the Application Fee maybe waived or deferred, however you MUST request a fee waiver or deferment before completing your Application and you MUST have good reason why you would like the Application Fee to be waived or deferred.
As part of the membership process member's MUST agree to send pictures, video, or both to S.A.F.E. of their current place of living.
Member's MUST also agree when becoming a member of S.A.F.E. that they will help other's through S.A.F.E. with their professional, or trade service that they do for a living. (example: If you are a contractor, you volunteer your services through S.A.F.E. to help other members that may need a contractor. If you are an attorney, you will volunteer your services through S.A.F.E. to help other members that may need an attorney, etc.)
Make sure that S.A.F.E. has a current copy of your Purchase Agreement within 72 hours of becoming a Member, and if your lender updates your current Purchase Agreement you will be required by S.A.F.E. to send us a copy of it within 24 hours.
You MUST keep S.A.F.E. updated to any ongoing or current situation you are involved in with your Lender.
You agree to use S.A.F.E.’s Ministry Assistance for the purpose it was given for, for example if you receive Grocery Assistance you will use it to provide food and home goods for my family, you would not purchase tobacco or alcohol with the gift card. you understand doing so would cause you to be permanently removed and banned from S.A.F.E.’s Ministry Assistance, and if you are a member you would be removed and permanently banned from being a member, for abusing the Ministry Assistance.
You agree to submit original receipts of what you purchase with a S.A.F.E. Ministry Assistance Gift card, within 7 days of the date on the receipt of what you purchased, if you use the gift card at separate times, you understand that you are required to submit an original receipt to S.A.F.E. within 7 days of date on the receipt for each purchase you make, until the value of the gift card is exhausted.
You agree that S.A.F.E. is not responsible for lost, stolen, or fraudulent use of the gift card outside the use by the recipient. Cards WILL NOT be replaced in the event of any of these happenings, so you agree that in the event you receive a gift card you will treat it as cash, and follow ALL rules that apply to the gift card.
Affordable Homeownership:
ALL of our members will be placed into an Affordable Homeownership program as funding and openings become available. ALL monthly Membership Donations paid to S.A.F.E. will go towards the members home purchase, however if the member requires services that require a form of payment, such as an attorney, court costs, etc. payment for those services will be covered by the members membership donations first, anything left over or future Membership Donations will continue to go towards the members new home purchase.
Furthermore; members understand that it may take time to get into an affordable homeownership program based on multiple different factors, including but not limited to funding, member participation with S.A.F.E., member willingness to support or help other members, if you are Military (military get first priority), member decision on a home, location of home, home availability, and more. Members understand depending on the location of their home and other factors, they maybe placed on a waiting list, or in transitional housing if needed.
Penalties:
If you fail to follow your Responsibilities, you could face Membership penalties which may include, but are not limited to the following:
S.A.F.E. could be put in a position that we cannot do anything to help you.
As a member if you violated any rules or laws in your Rental Agreement/Purchase Agreement you may have to move.
You may be required to legally pay legal penalties
You agree to use S.A.F.E.’s Ministry Assistance for the purpose it was given for, for example if you receive Grocery Assistance you will use it to provide food and home goods for my family, you would not purchase tobacco or alcohol with the gift card. you understand doing so would cause you to be permanently removed and banned from S.A.F.E.’s Ministry Assistance, and if you are a member you would be removed and permanently banned from being a member, for abusing the Ministry Assistance.
You agree to submit original receipts of what you purchase with a S.A.F.E. Ministry Assistance Gift card, within 7 days of the date on the receipt of what you purchased, if you use the gift card at separate times, you understand that you are required to submit an original receipt to S.A.F.E. within 7 days of date on the receipt for each purchase you make, until the value of the gift card is exhausted.
You agree that S.A.F.E. is not responsible for lost, stolen, or fraudulent use of the gift card outside the use by the recipient. Cards WILL NOT be replaced in the event of any of these happenings, so you agree that in the event you receive a gift card you will treat it as cash, and follow ALL rules that apply to the gift card.
It could lead to eviction/foreclosure or lose of your residence
You could be permanently banned from being a Member of S.A.F.E. Housing Inc.
Misuse, falsifying information, lying, receiving assistance, or emergency assistance and selling it, purchasing items not allowed on gift cards, etc. will be considered abusing S.A.F.E. Housing Inc., and will result in being permanently banned from ever using S.A.F.E. Ministry Assistance in the future, or if you are a member you will be permanently removed from S.A.F.E. and permanently banned from ever being a member in the future.
Homeowners that are purchasing a home in a HOA (Homeowners Association) MUST understand that they will need to move from that home when purchasing with S.H.I.E.L.D. Affordable Homeownership Solutions, due to the HOA's not having much regulations governing them, HOA's for the most part are legally free to do as they see fit, which does not align with neither S.A.F.E. nor S.H.I.E.L.D.'s policies. Furthermore, neither S.A.F.E. nor S.H.I.E.L.D. would be able to adequately protect our members in a case like this involving an HOA. If you are currently residing in an HOA, we will require you to move to a different home of your choosing when purchasing a mortgage free home through S.H.I.E.L.D. We also do not purchase any homes within an HOA.
*S.A.F.E Housing Inc. reserves the right to update or change these Rules, Responsibilities, and Penalties without notice at anytime.