If you don’t have a full-time job, it may be somewhat more challenging to meet all of the home equity loan or home equity line of credit requirements. Even if you meet the lender’s income requirements and DTI ratio, they may not feel your earnings are steady enough. However, you might be able to qualify for a home equity loan if you have other sources of regular income, such as a pension or retirement distributions, Social Security or long-term disability payments, rental income or child or spousal support. A lender might also consider a co-signer’s or co-borrower’s income if you have one.