Government Programs That Can Help Take The Financial Stress Out Of Home Repairs

Sometimes local governments and not-for-profit organizations offer assistance that can’t be accessed through federal programs like HUD and the USDA. These programs might be partly funded by the U.S. government, but they’re locally administered and are designed to meet the specific needs of a community. These include programs funded by HUD’s HOME Investment Partnership Program.

While local HOME programs are often mostly funded by the national government, HUD requires 25% fund matching from participating jurisdictions, which can include local governments and/or non-government organizations. While local needs drive individual HOME programs, some national standards apply that will affect applicants. For instance, a property’s value can’t exceed 95% of the area’s median price, even after rehabilitation is complete. There are also firm income limits, to make sure help goes to those who need it most. This restricts use to extremely low-income (ELI) families. The ELI limit means that a household’s income can’t exceed 30% of the area’s median family income, adjusted for family size.

The funds are made available to cover a broad range of activities, including home rehabilitation, and the specifics are determined by the participating jurisdictions that disburse the HUD grants. There are many examples of how useful this program can be; for example, some programs offer assistance with paying for utility hookups, which can be extraordinarily expensive, especially in rural areas. To locate these and other local programs, start with this U.S. directory of local governments and contact your county or municipal housing department for more information.