Approximately 6.3% of the houses in America have had moderate to severe physical issues that require home repair grants for disabled people. This sums to around 8.3 million housing units based on the American Housing Survey (AHS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
In America, around 1.3 billion people experience some disability, which accounts for almost 16% of the total population in the state. Several organizations provide home repair grants for people with disabilities to manage their housing budget, be it several modifications or changes.
Grants for Home Modifications for the Disabled
Disability does restrict your spatial bodily functions; the way you used to roam around your home before disability, you might not be able to do the same after you become disabled.
It requires modifying certain corners and spaces of your house according to your specific disability that fits your free movement; home repair grants for disabled people may relieve your financial burden.
The federal government has introduced various home improvement grants for disabled people for being citizens of the United States of America to remodel their houses according to their convenience.
As we all know, home modifications can be expensive, especially for citizens with a disability, as they might not have enough income to pay for the changes for themselves. This is why the federal government has introduced grants for home modifications for the disabled people.
Living with a disability is challenging. It takes a lot of time to do regular tasks for people with disabilities. It would have been great if the home underwent remodeling to facilitate them according to their particular disability types.
Must Read: Benefits For Disabled Adults Living With Parents
Following are some disability types that create a sense of urgency to renovate your house, either by repair, remodeled, or modification based on your particular physical limitations. Such understanding will make sure about having home improvement grants for disabled people.
We must understand the types of Disability here before the grants for home modifications for disabled people that help us better understand particular requirements for each home remodeling for disabled people.
40% Difficulty in Walking
38% Difficulty in Using Stairs
36% of Mental Disabilities
30% Difficulty in Lifting
19% Depressed and Anxious
15% Use a Cane, Crutch, or Walker
14% Difficulty in Seeing
13% Difficulty in Grasping
12% Difficulty in Concentration
11% Difficulty in Hearing
10% Learning Disability
7% Gap in Communication
6% Difficulty in Speaking
5% Use a Wheelchair
3% Alzheimer, Senility, dementia
Often, this thought lingers in one’s mind, but due to the expensive process of modifying the house, one doesn’t go through with the plan. But now you can; several home modification grants for disabled people can help you with your physical limitations.
Specially designed for citizens living in rural areas of the U.S., this program provides grants for home modifications and renovations.
It is a part of the USDA’s Rural Development Program and supports disabled people in need. Under this program, you can get home remodeling for people with disabilities at 62 years or above.
There are a few eligibility criteria that one needs to fulfill to get such home repair grants for disabled people.
- The applicant should be the owner of the house.
- They must reside in a house that needs modification.
- The applicant must be in a condition where they cannot obtain good credit anywhere else.
- The applicant’s family income must be below 50 percent of the area median income.
- The most crucial aspect of being eligible for these grants for home modifications for the disabled is that the applicant must be 62 years or above.
- They must not be able to pay the repair loan.
You are good to go if you check all the boxes on the criteria list. You would then be deemed eligible to have these home modifications for the disabled grants.
These grants for handicap remodeling range from $7,500 to $20,000. The grant amount depends on the need of the applicant and the description provided by him or her as to how the grant money will be used.
Specially Adapted Housing Grant, as the name suggests, provides financial assistance to the disabled, elderly, and veterans who wish to modify their houses to make it convenient for them to move around the house.
You can get these grants for home modifications for disabled people if you or your family member owns or will own the house to be remodeled or modified.
- It would be best to have a clinically qualified service-connected disability to get benefits under their home modifications for the disabled grants.
- A service-connected disability is defined as the applicant must be deprived of one or both hands or legs. In addition, specific severe burns and respiratory or breathing injuries can also be termed service-connected disabilities.
- The grant amount you can get under this program is roughly $20,215. This is the maximum amount that is kept aside for the applicants of this grant by the federal government.
- However, you are not required to utilize all the money this program provides. You can use the grant amount at different times until the maximum limit of 6 times.
This grant is specially curated for the youth. Citizens of the State who are 21 years or under are eligible to apply for this grant. It encourages the youth to achieve their dreams.
They help get done small home remodeling for the disabled, which costs $500 or under.
- The state only approves such home remodeling for the disabled grants if it helps the disabled people achieve their fundamental bodily objectives, which are restricted due to disability.
- For instance, if your child wants to learn a new recreational activity, your house should be modified to facilitate easy movement and promote smoother learning.
- Similarly, if a child faces difficulty in commuting in and out of the house, then a facility for installing ramps or wider doors can be provided to the applicant’s family.
Here are some stats that might make you realize the disability grants for home improvement requirements, since across all the age groups, people with disability are more likely to spend their time at home only since they are less expected to have a job.
- About 60 million people in the United States are disabled, and most require assistance under federal or community home repair grants for disabled people.
- 7.6% unemployment rate for people with disability and 3.5% unemployment rates for people with disability have declined severally.
- Half of the person with a disability is over 65, compared to 18% of those with no disability.
Disability Grants for Home Improvement
Around 10% of the world’s population, which accounts for 650 million people, opens the necessity to avail the disability grants for home improvement since they are the ones who suffer functional loss within their houses.
Under the Making Home Affordable (MHA) of the United States Department of Treasury, the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) is the largest program that offers reduced monthly mortgage payments to homeowners at risk of foreclosure, with affordable and sustainable assistance plans.
The federal government, non-profit organizations, and multiple charities have also pitched in to help the disabled and handicapped. They do not only help with grants for home modifications for the disabled but also help with home remodeling for disabled people.
The necessity of modification and improvement is required because of the rising cases of disability in America; according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for 2022, around 21.3% of people with some disability were employed, compared to the previous year’s 19.1%.
Following are the platforms providing home repair grants for disabled people. You can check them out by getting preliminary information from here and visiting their sites. Remember, specific platforms regularly update complete free home repair for the disabled offers; if you’re lucky to get it, you can.
1. Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) Grant
- The maximum grant provided under this scheme was $6,800 for service-connected disabilities and $2,000 for non-service-connected disabilities.
- This grant is offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide help in the form of financial assistance for the home modification of veterans having disabilities.
- You can get the details here on their HISA web; they only provide the medically necessary home improvements and structural alterations.
2. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
- This grant is provided under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the local federal government and other community platforms for housing.
- The funds are not directly provided to disabled people, but the community developers and federal government programs for disabled person becomes a medium.
- Under their Housing rehabilitation and improvements, home repairs and modification assistance for disabled people can get the benefits, which also includes homeless people and migrants.
USDA Section 504 Home Repair Program
- The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded section 504 home repair program provides financial grants of up to $7500.
- To the unemployed and disabled people, this program will be provided funds mainly for housing repair, remodeling, and home modification. Low-income families also get benefit from this program.
- The section 504 program provides both loan and grant to low-income individuals and disabled people, loan up to $40,000 for home repair, improvement, or modernizing homes, and grants of up to $10,000 to remove health and safety hazards.
Must Read: Top 5 Private Grants For Individuals With Disabilities
Charities Providing Grants for Handicap Remodeling
We know that charity platforms contribute significantly towards equal growth and development of society by uplifting every class and group. Here are some charity organization that provides grants for handicap remodeling.
Habitat for Humanity
- It aims to provide affordable housing to low-income families and disabled people. Their housing microfinance helps in home modification assistance to improve the overall quality of life, accessibility, and safety of the disabled.
- Under their Asia-Pacific Housing Forum, they have gathered stakeholders under one roof to seek solutions to affordable housing issues and promote decent housing as a driver of economic growth.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
- This organization provides home repair, remodeling, and modification assistance to people suffering from diseases called multiple sclerosis (MS). People having MS have caused disability is assisted by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
- Although MS is not considered a direct disability, the Social Security Administration has recognized MS as a chronic disease that can cause the impairment or disability of an individual.
Rebuilding Together (RT) Program
- This non-profit organization has created $2.84 in social value for every $1 investment. This platform has 3 goals by 2030: one million repairs and people-first community-oriented providing life-changing services.
- It has a network of local affiliates across the country that sets the required fund for disabled people for home repairs and modification assistance.
The Gary Sinise Foundation
- The Gary Sinise Foundation runs a program called R.I.S.E (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) that provides “specially adapted smart homes” for severely impacted disabled people, defenders, and veterans.
- By now, the Gary Sinise Foundation has completed 81 specially adapted smart homes for our severely wounded heroes who have served our nation.
Must Read: A Home for All: Homeless Need Help With Apartment
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve comprehensively covered different platforms providing home repair grants for disabled people, including some non-profit organizations and charities foundations delivering grants for Handicap Remodeling, repairing, modification, and house renovation. We’ve also listed out different types of disability that may clarify the particular cause behind home repairs.
FAQs
What to do when your house is falling apart, and you can t afford to fix it?
You can apply for several home repair program that assists in your home remodeling, repair, and modification. You need to fit their eligibility criteria for every specific type of disability; they have a separate assistance slot.
What is the Detroit Home Repair Grant Program?
It is the loan-providing platform at a 0% interest rate for home repairs and modification. However, only eligible recipients get the 0% rate benefits due to its high demand; severely damaged disabled people have more chances to get the benefits under the Detriot home repair grant.
Who is eligible for Government home improvement grant in Florida?
The disabled person with no existing credit assistance and no regular income resource, with low-to-moderate income households, and must be 62 years old or older are eligible to receive the benefits under a government home improvement grant.