Housing Rehabilitation Programs

Upkeep of old housing can be costly for low-income homeowners, especially the elderly who often rely on fixed incomes. In some areas, homeowner rehabilitation programs are available to low-and moderate-income households to assist them with indoor plumbing repairs, correcting health and safety issues, increasing energy conservation and preventive home maintenance. Assistance is usually provided as low-interest loans.

Highlights

• Assist households with the costs of rehabilitation and maintenance.
• Available to low–and moderate-income homeowners.
• Assistance provided in the form of a low-interest loans

In Practice

Prince George’s County, Maryland. Prince George’s County Single Family Housing Rehabilitation Loan Assistance Program provides financial assistance to people of limited financial means for the purpose of upgrading older substandard homes to contemporary minimum property standards. Funding for the program comes from a variety of sources including federal Community Development Block Grants (CDBGs) and HOME funds. All financial and construction management services are provided by the County’s Housing Development Division.

St. Mary’s County, Maryland. St. Mary’s County Housing Authority has a low interest loan program for home repairs and necessary improvements. Some of the programs include Maryland Housing Rehabilitation Program Single Family, Indoor Pluming Program, Lead Hazard Reduction Grant and Loan Program, Sewer Connection Revolving Loan Fund Program and Essential Home Repair Program. These home repair loan programs help citizens make necessary repairs to their homes, such as public sewer connections, roofs and electric service. Interest rates vary from 0-7% and monthly payments and terms vary based on income and affordability.

Sonoma County, California. The Community Development Commission in Sonoma has administered five housing rehabilitation grant programs to assist low-income owner occupants of single family homes and mobile homes to make necessary repairs to their dwellings. The fifth program is jointly administered and called the Housing Access Modification (HAM) Grant Program with Community Resources for Independence. The HAM Program was designed to help eliminate structural barriers and provide a variety of systems modifications to make homes safer, more accessible and functional for low-income people with disabilities.