Grants are available for those who need to make their homes more accessible.
Homes are generally built for people who are physically able. When the time comes to adapt a home to meet the needs of disabled residents, homeowners can apply for grants to help pay the cost of renovations. United States veterans and service members, low-income families in rural areas and disabled individuals living in the United Kingdom all have grant options when making their homes fully accessible.
Specially Adapted Housing Grant
The Department of Veterans Affairs offers the Specially Adapted Housing Grant for veterans and service members who have been disabled while serving in the armed forces. To qualify, service members must have suffered blindness, disability as a result of severe burns, loss of locomotion because of injuries to the lower extremities or loss of use of the upper extremities. The maximum allowance for this grant is adjusted annually based on a cost-of-construction index and as of October 1, 2009 stood at $63,780. Veterans and service members are allowed to use the grant on three separate occasions to either build a home, remodel an existing home to better suit their needs or apply it to the unpaid mortgage balance on a newly bought specially adapted home. There are no deadlines or time limits placed on veterans or service members when applying for this grant.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420
800-827-1000
benefits.va.gov
Rural Home Repair Loan and Grant Program
Lower-income families in rural areas are able to apply for a Section 504 grant if a member of that family is over 62 years old and suffers from a disability. Section 504 grants are restricted to families who own the single-family dwelling in which they live. This grant is intended for use in removing health and safety hazards or in making the home accessible for a disabled family member. In order to qualify for this grant, the home must be on a permanent foundation and have been inhabited by the home owner/applicant prior to filling out a grant application. The grant comes in the form of a partial loan and a maximum grant of $7,500. The amount of the loan is based on a budget analysis that determines the applicant's repayment ability.
USDA Rural Development
Attn: Rural Housing Division
Federal Building, Room 152
100 Centennial Mall North
Lincoln, NE 68508-3888
402-437-5557
rurdev.usda.gov
Section 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services Waivers
While not strictly a grant, section 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services Waivers of the Social Security Act makes provisions for disabled people to modify their homes in order to make them more accessible. This Medicaid waiver program is decided on a state-by-state basis with 48 States and the District of Columbia offering services under this program. Applications are sent by state Medicaid agencies to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for review and approval.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21244
877-267-2323
cms.gov
Tags: service members, their homes, veterans service, 1915 Home, 1915 Home Community-Based, Adapted Housing, Adapted Housing Grant
