Government grants for Indiana homeowners are usually only available to low-income residents and senior citizens. The grants often help residents make home repairs that eliminate safety hazards or restore a home to a livable condition. In some cases, homeowners who are having trouble paying heating and cooling costs can get funds to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
HUD Grants
Some large Indiana cities use U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds to supply grants to low and moderate income homeowners for home maintenance projects. The Indianapolis Office of Community Planning and Development handles the distribution of the grants. HUD also sends grant money to Indiana that the state distributes to smaller communities to help homeowners make repairs or improvements to their homes. According to HUD, the Indiana Department of Commerce handles any HUD funding that's available for such projects in smaller communities.
USDA Grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Office provides home-improvement grants to low-income homeowners living in some of Indiana's rural areas. However, residents must be at least 62 years old to be eligible for a grant. Residents also must have incomes that are 50 percent below their county's median income to qualify for a grant. Eligible repairs and improvements include those that make a home more safe or sanitary for the homeowner. The largest grant amount available is $7,500, but a combination of loans and grants may allow homeowners to receive up to $27,500 in aid.
Energy Grants
Duke Energy and other Indiana utility companies participate in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which is available through a company's partnership with the state government. The program provides homeowners with grant money to pay for heating bills and weatherization projects. Weatherization involves insulating windows and other parts of a home to reduce heating and cooling costs. Eligible homeowners must meet federal poverty guidelines to receive assistance. For example, an Indiana family of four at 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines would have a 2011 household income of $33,525.
Considerations
Available grants for homeowners in Indiana and other states may frequently change based on the availability of government funds on the federal, state and local level. Some homeowner assistance programs are only in place for a short period of time in response to an economic downturn or a natural disaster. Other programs only provide assistance from year to year until allotted funds run out. The Indiana HUD office maintains up-to-date information on homeowner grants that are available in the state.
Tags: cooling costs, federal poverty, federal poverty guidelines, grant money, heating cooling, heating cooling costs
