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Improve Your Home With These Government-Sponsored Grants

You don’t need loads of extra cash lying around to improve your home. Thanks to several government grants, home improvement can now be cost-free.

What keeps most people from making improvements to their home? A lack of money. Luckily, such a shortage can be overcome if you meet specific requirements that can land you a home repair grant from the government.

What exactly is this type of grant and how can you find one? Let’s take a look at that now so you can see the various funding options that are out there.

What Is a Home Improvement Grant?

The government offers home improvement grants (sometimes called home repair grants) to people looking to upgrade their properties. These offerings come at the municipality, state, or federal level.

If requirements are met, the person who receives the grant does not have to pay it back. In short, getting a grant to boost your home’s features can be hand without pulling a penny out of your pocket.

The competition for grants can be fierce since they virtually offer free funding. As long as you’re looking to improve your property to make it more livable, less hazardous, or safer, getting a grant may be in your future.

Requirements for Home Repair Grants

Since grants are so limited and high in demand, you must meet several requirements to be eligible for one. Here are some examples of what may be required to prove your eligibility:

  • Proof of income
  • Documentation showing financial need
  • Home condition reports
  • Estimated project costs

Each grant will have its own set of requirements. Where you live and what you propose to do will weigh heavily in your chances for receiving a grant.

Most eligibility requirements can be found online. The following links will lead you to the official sites of some of the most popular grants for home improvement:

  • HUD Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)
  • USDA Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants
  • VA Housing Grant for Disabled Veterans
  • HOME Investment Partnerships Program
  • Housing Improvement Program for American Indian and Alaskan Natives

How to Find Home Improvement Grants

The links above are just a handful of grant resources you can find online to improve your home. Your local Housing and Urban Development (HUD) office will have plenty of information on home repair grants as well, such as the aforementioned HOME Investment Partnerships Program.

If you live in a rural area, the U.S. Department of Agriculture may help. It offers home improvement grants up to $7,500 for people looking to improve the accessibility or safety of their home.

Lastly, you can fill out a brief application on the National Residential Improvement Association’s (NRIA) site. Within 24 to 48 hours, you will be contacted by one of their specialists with info on the different home improvement grants you may be eligible for.

Funding for Eco-Friendly Improvements

Are you making your home more green or eco-friendly? If so, tax credits or green energy grants can help you fund such improvements.

You can learn more about these incentives by contacting your local energy company or your city or state energy commission. The EnergyStar site also has information on the financial benefits of making eco-friendly improvements to your home.