Home Improvement Grants and Rental Assistance for Low-Income Americans

The USDA offers single-family home repair grants. Grants can be competitive. When you are ready to apply for a grant, you will need to provide evidence of wages or self-employed income statements, bank account statements, and housing repair project costs. It is noteworthy to examine the full scope of requirements before applying for specific grants. For more information about housing repair and grants, visit www.benefits.gov.

Housing Improvement Grants for Native Americans

Aid is available for Native Americans or Alaskan Natives who live in substandard housing in approved tribal areas. The household income for a Native American family cannot exceed 125% of the poverty line. Grant funds are available for renovation, home repair, and new housing. The (HIP) grant is administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for all Nationally recognized tribes. Applicants must contact their local BIA office for assistance.

Rural Rental Assistance

The Rural Rental Assistance program pays the rent for low-income families who dwell in rental housing financed by the Farm Labor Housing or qualifying Rural Rental Housing. The monthly rental payments cannot exceed 30% of the family's annual household income. Applicants can contact their Landlord to determine eligibility. For additional information, interested parties can contact their local USDA Rural Development field office for assistance.

Rural Housing Repair Grants

Grants and loans are available for low-income homeowners to improve, modernize, repair, and remove health hazards inside their home. Household income must be below 50% of the median average. Applicants who are American citizens age 62 and older can apply for grants to improve the internal condition of their home. Younger American citizens can apply for a combination of grants and loans.

Eligible applicants can apply for grants up to $7,500. Grants must be repaid if a property is sold in less than three years. The total amount a homeowner can apply with loans and grants is $20,000. The interest rate for a real estate loan is 1%. Inquiring homeowners can apply online at www.sc.egov.usda.gov.

Housing Grants for Veterans

Housing grants are available for veterans who have been disabled during service to the United States of America. Additionally, the Veteran's Administration will only give specialty grants to veterans who have a permanent or total service-connected disability. With the grant funds, veterans can purchase a brand-new home, construct a home, or modify an existing home adapted to their disability. The two specialty grants that are available to servicemen are: the Special Housing Adaption Grant (SHA) and the Specially Adapted Housing Grant (SAH).

Special Housing Adaption Grant

The SHA grant is for servicemen to purchase and adapt a home that will be suitable for their disability. In order to qualify for this grant, a serviceman's disability must adhere to certain qualifications. These are:

• Blindness in both eyes.
• Loss of use of both hands.
• Severe respiratory injuries.
• Severe burn injuries.

The homeowner can be a family member or a person of interest. The serviceman can apply for up to three grants; they can use the funds to:

• Adapt a family member's home which a serviceman plans to purchase.
• Purchase an already adapted home.
• Adapt an already purchased existing home.

For 2020, the maximum reward amount that a disabled veteran can receive is $90,364. The veteran can apply for this award a maximum of three times.

The Specially Adapted Housing Grant

The SAH grants allows servicemen to live an independent life as much as possible inside their own dwelling. The permanent service-connected disability qualifications for the program are:

• The loss of both of the lower extremities.
• Loss of sight in both eyes.
• Loss of both arms.
• Severe burn injuries.
• Loss of one of the lower extremities with a diseased organ.

The veteran can use grant funds in several ways:
• Build a new home on purchased land.
• Remodel an existing home.
• Use grant funds to pay off an existing mortgage on a previously purchased modified home.

Disabled veterans can receive the maximum award at $18,074. Likewise, the veteran can also apply for this award a maximum of three times.
Temporary Residence Adaption Grant(TRA)
The TRA grants are for servicemen who would like to adapt a home they are currently residing in temporarily. The maximum award amount is $7,083 for SHA grants and $39,669 for SAH grants. Veterans can apply for grants at their regional office for Veteran Affairs or by completing form VA-26-4555.