Neighborly Assistance
If you live in a low-income household, the cost of living crisis can have a real effect on your monthly outgoings. And while you might have adequately budgeted for the essentials such as food and rent, unexpected challenges around it can seriously throw your budget out of whack.
Take home repairs, for example. When an item, appliance or piece of furniture breaks unexpectedly, the repairs and home improvement that are needed as a result can leave you out of pocket. Here’s the good news. There are a few ways for low-income homeowners to receive free home repairs for low-income households.
Free Home Repair Options for Low-Income Families
If you’re one of the many low-income families being hit hard by inflation and price rises, here are some home repair programs and tips you can consider to help you receive free home repair for low-income households.
The Very Low-Income Housing Repair Program
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers a Very Low Income Housing Repair program. With this program, low-income homeowners can apply for a loan or grant to cover the repairs they urgently need. It’s one of the best assistance programs for households where the income is much lower than the national average.
To be eligible for these home repairs, the applicant in question must have an income that’s below 50% of the median income of the area. They must also be unable to afford credit elsewhere, so this is a good option if you’ve been previously rejected for a loan you need for home repairs.
The grants, in particular, which allow you to enjoy home repairs entirely free of charge, are available for those aged 62 and older.
Find out more information on the government’s website.
Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together is an organization that not only provides help with home repairs for low-income families and individuals but also provides rebuilding for areas that have been hit by natural disasters or displaced.
If you’re looking for support with your home repairs, Rebuilding Together provides services across the nation through a network of local affiliates. This means the services on offer and the process for applying for them can vary depending on your location. Luckily, the Rebuilding site has a handy tool you can use to find your nearest location. Each affiliate has its own website with information on how to apply.
Find out more information on Rebuilding Together’s website.
203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance
This program allows homeowners to finance up to $35,000 into their mortgage to find repairs and upgrades on the property in question. If your cash flow is struggling, this program allows you to tap into cash from your home. It’s a great option because it allows you to access cash without having to take out a brand-new loan.
Naturally, this only applies to those who already own their homes, but it’s a great way of tapping into your mortgage for money to repair things around the house. While it’s not strictly ‘free’ because you’ll eventually have to pay back that money, it does avoid the need for a large upfront payment. If you own your property but don’t know where you’ll find the money for home repairs, this is a great option.
Find out more information about the program and how to apply for it yourself here.
Friends, Family and the Community
Sometimes, you won’t have to look as far as you’d thought to find support. If you have strong connections in the community, whether that’s with your neighbors or through your local church, you might find people who are willing to carry out home repairs either for free or for a discounted rate.
If you’re part of a local Facebook group, you can create a post stating the type of help you need and see if anybody would be willing to offer their services for free. Other ways of finding helpful locals include putting a flyer in the local town hall or church or asking for word-of-mouth recommendations.
In some areas, there are home repair volunteer programs where people with the necessary skills sign up to provide others in the area with free home repair assistance. You can find out more about these helpful volunteer programs here.
Helping Your Community
So, there you have it! Even if your family has little to no income, you can find simple ways to receive free home repairs for low-income households. Whether by asking those in the community or applying for a program directly, there are always ways of getting help.
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