November 7, 2009
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Housing
Home Modification
Financing Options for Home Modification
Financial assistance is available for home buyers who need accessibility modifications that the seller may not provide.
Some resources include: Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME), Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), volunteers, partnerships with home improvement centers, partnerships with other organizations or local governments that also provide home repair/rehab services and individual loan products for home repair and/or modifications. Additional resources may be available through:
- Home and Community-based Medicaid Waiver Programs – Funds may be available for home modifications to participants who receive assistance through a Medicaid waiver program. It might be necessary to work with policy makers to modify the guidelines if the participant is considering new construction since most programs are designed to modify existing homes.
- USDA Rural Housing Home Repair Loan and Grant Program – Provides loans and grants to very low-income homeowners to repair, improve, or modernize their dwellings or to remove health and safety hazards. Program Features: Low interest (one percent) 20-year loans up to $20,000; Grants up to $7,500 to pay for repairs or removal of safety hazards; Eligibility: Homeowner-occupants must be unable to obtain affordable credit elsewhere and must have very low incomes, defined as below 50 percent of the area median income.
- US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loan Guaranty Services – Eligible veterans have several possible options for financing home repairs and modifications. A VA Home Loan can be used to simultaneously purchase and improve a home. Disabled veterans may be eligible for a Specially Adapted Housing grant which can be applied to building a home, purchasing and modifying an existing dwelling or modifying a current residence.
- State or Local Weatherization Assistance Programs – Programs designed for low income persons to promote energy efficiency in their residences. Program Features: Amount of assistance is determined on a case-by-case basis and eligibility is for those with household income at or below 125% of the federal poverty guideline.