Home repairs are never fun, but they are typically necessary for anyone who lives in older houses. As you get older, you may need to make changes to your house to make it more comfortable to live in. Or you may wish to improve the functionality of your residence. As a homeowner, dealing with maintenance issues and repair work that comes with an old-fashioned house may be costly and frustrating.
Generally, many components of a house require constant repair and upkeep. These include leaky roofs, broken windows, loose doors, cracked walls, faulty plumbing, and others. Housing repairs and modifications to make a residence habitable are not cheap. Fortunately, there are charities and home repair programs that offer financial assistance to homeowners and low-income families seeking immediate home repair assistance.
This article discusses various non-profit organizations and charities that help with home repairs, along with the eligibility requirements of each home repair assistance program.
Home Repairs Ministries
Home Repairs Ministries assists low-income widows, single mothers, seniors and veterans, and disabled individuals with necessary home repairs and renovations.
Every year, it conducts over 200 projects to build a safe and healthy home environment for families in need. Since 2002, they have already been building and restoring houses, which guarantees the top-quality service they provide.
Some general qualifications for receiving home repair assistance services from this program include the following:
- Must be a homeowner
- Planning to live in the house subject to repairs for the next (3) three years
- Must meet income requirements, such as household income not exceeding the low-income bracket as defined by current HUD standards
Habitat For Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a charity organization that constructs houses for low-income families who cannot afford to build them themselves. They also assist homeowners in underprivileged communities with housing repairs.
Volunteer groups, usually from the community where the homes are being built, perform the necessary repairs and modifications. They often include nonprofit organizations, veterans, and churches that want to serve others. To ensure things go smoothly, volunteers are taught about safety, tools, and construction practices. In some instances, they also learn about building codes, architectural designs, city planning, and other related topics, depending on the project.
This program is made possible through the efforts of one of the founders, Valspar, along with the help and support of generous donors, affiliates, and partners. Below is a list of the basic criteria to qualify for this program.
- Must be in need of better housing
- Must be willing to collaborate with Habitat For Humanity
- Must be a homeowner that is able to pay an affordable mortgage
Visit the Habitat For Humanity website for more information regarding their home repair services.
Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together is a leading national non-profit organization whose vision is to provide safe and healthy housing needs. They have nearly 40 years of experience advancing their current mission and vision.
The organization repairs houses, revitalizes neighborhoods, and rebuilds people's lives with the help of volunteers and community partners. With several local affiliates and nearly 100,000 volunteers, this organization has been able to accomplish 10,000 housing projects. Some of their well-known home repair assistance programs include:
- Building a Healthy Neighborhood
- Disaster Readiness and Recovery
- Safe At Home
- She Builds
To qualify under their program, here are the basic eligibility requirements you must meet:
- Low-income families with children
- Veterans, people with disabilities, and seniors
- Household income should not exceed 80% of the Annual Median Income (AMI)
Rebuilding Together Baltimore (RTB)
Rebuilding Together Baltimore provides repairs and modifications for low-income senior homeowners and people with disabilities. However, they also cater to low-income families with children.
There are about 120 Rebuilding Together affiliates in the United States. RTB volunteers have renovated nearly 1,800 homes in Baltimore to a cumulative value of more than $20 million.
Rebuilding Together Baltimore offers various home repair services, including:
- Roof repair
- Energy efficiency modifications
- Repair of any safety hazards
- Installation of ramps for veteran adults, senior citizens, and people with disabilities
- Other necessary home repairs
This program employs similar eligibility criteria as Rebuilding Together.
Hearts & Hammers
Hearts & Hammers is a nonprofit organization that assists residents of the Twin Cities of Minnesota and Dallas, Texas with house repairs.
Volunteers and contributors repair the houses of low-income homeowners, including seniors, veterans, and the disabled. Contractors for Hearts & Hammers, as well as other volunteer groups, can finish a housing repair project in as little as 24 hours.
Here are the basic eligibility requirements you must meet to qualify for their program:
- Currently residing in the Twin Cities Metro area, or any county in Dallas, state of Texas
- Has a single-family residence in the said area
- Needs to stay at the house for at least (2) years
- A senior aged 60 years older, a person with a disability, or a U.S. Military veteran
- Household income does not exceed the maximum income amount
Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps develop strong, stable, and secure military families. Since 2011, they have supported more than 19,000 families with financial aid through their different types of grants and loans.
They have four well-known programs in the housing and home maintenance category:
1. Transitional Housing (Apartments). This program provides veterans who have been honorably discharged with rent-free apartments.
2. Permanent Homes For Veterans (PHV). Enables veterans to relocate into a house built by Operation Homefront and interact with caseworkers and financial advisors to make plans for home ownership.
3. Transitional Homes For Veterans. Provides temporary rent-free housing, financial education, and support services to veterans and their families who have been discharged in the last 12 months and served honorably.
4. Transitional Housing (Villages). While wounded or injured service members of the military recuperate and undergo discharge, they are provided with temporary rent-free, fully furnished apartments.
To qualify for any of the programs listed above, here are the basic requirements:
- Must be a veteran that served in the U.S. Armed Forces
- Non-home owning
- Must be within at least 1-4 years of honorable discharge
- Willing to reside in San Diego, CA, Gaithersburg, MD, and San Antonio, Texas
If you think you are eligible for Operation Homefront housing services, you may submit your application to their website.
Catholic Charities Of Southern Missouri
Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri is one of the leading providers of home repair and rebuilding services in Missouri. They offer home repair services to people who need help with housing repairs and maintenance and provide home repair assistance that includes fixing the roof, broken windows, or faulty electrical systems. Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri primarily cater to the homeless whose places were damaged or destroyed by natural disasters, low-income families, seniors, and disabled individuals.
Each home repair program offered by the Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri has different eligibility criteria. Find all the information you need to apply for the home repair program on their website.
Women Under Construction Network
Women Under Construction Network is a nonprofit organization that operates using donations from various affiliate groups and charity agencies. Their mission is to educate, motivate, empower, and inspire women and single mothers of all ages facing critical needs at home.
However, their contractors and volunteers also help seniors needing home repairs. In fact, one of their most well-known home repair assistance programs that cater to the elderly is the Repair Angels program.
To qualify for this program, you must meet some of their requirements, which include:
- Must be a woman facing financial hardships and in-need of free-of-charge home repair services
- Senior citizens aged 60 and above
- Low-income families
- Single mothers
- Willing to work with and volunteer for the Repair Angels program
Coalition For Home Repair
The Coalition for Home Repair is the country's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the importance of home repair and rehabilitation in having a comfortable life. With extensive resources and multiple partners nationwide, Operation Homefront has achieved numerous feats, such as:
- 38,000 homes repaired
- 89,000 low-income families in 38 states served
- 71,000 projects completed in 7.8 million hours by 306,000 volunteers
To qualify for the Coalition for Home Repair, you must:
- Be from a low-income family
- Currently reside in a poverty-stricken community or household
If you happen to be eligible for this home repair assistance program, you can enjoy a wide array of home repair services, such as roof repairs, plumbing, construction of additional rooms, and electrical repairs.
Section 504 Home Repair Program
The Section 504 Home Repair Program provides loans and grants to homeowners with extremely low incomes in order to help pay for any crucial repairs or modifications to their houses. They also provide financial assistance to the elderly with little earning capacity and help remove health safety hazards from their homes. Eligible individuals can receive a loan ranging from $10,000 to $40,000.
Here are the basic eligibility requirements you must meet to qualify for their program:
- Must reside in the house subject to repair
- Unable to obtain affordable credit from other government programs or charitable organizations
- Have a household income that does not exceed the very low limit based on their county standards
- Aged 62 and incapable of paying a repair loan (for seniors' financial grants)
Get To Know The Charities That Help With Home Repairs
Home repair and maintenance is crucial in order to ensure a safe space where you and your family can comfortably live. If you are unable to pay for these necessary repairs, there are numerous charities that help with home repairs in the U.S. and provide home repair services for free. You can also apply for various grants and loans to get started quickly.
If you are a single parent and in need of housing assistance, read this Gov Relations article on 5 programs that offer housing assistance to single fathers.
