Federal grants
are awarded to low-income senior citizens to help stimulate personal and economic development. While most federal grants are provided to assist housing and nonprofit organizations, some grants available can benefit individual seniors and cover home remodeling costs. Furthermore, these federal grants are intended to improve living conditions and the quality of life for individuals with disabilities or physical constraints.
Very Low Income Housing Repair Program
The Home Repair Loan Program or the Very Low Income Housing Repair Program provides grants to senior citizens who are 62 years or older and need to renovate their homes to improve their condition and safety. Grant funds can be used toward fixing plumbing, improving bathrooms, and providing central air, heat and running water inside the home. In addition, the funds can be used to modify the structure of the homes of seniors with disabilities. The total of the grant is $7,000. The federal government may request the grant money returned if the home is sold within three years of receiving the funding.
Rural Housing Preservation Grant
The Rural Housing Preservation Grant is provided to people living in extremely low-Income rural communities within small populations (less than 20,000). This grant can be awarded to seniors who qualify. This grant is intended to bring homes up to code through remodeling and improving sanitary and living conditions.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
FEMA provides grants and financial aid to restore, remodel and repair homes destroyed in natural disasters. FEMA funds projects to fix sanitary and safety hazards inside homes left by disasters. FEMA partners with the Federal Direct Housing and National Disaster Loans, which gives grants to individuals (including seniors) for remodeling projects not covered under FEMA. As of 2009, senior citizens who receive aid from FEMA won't be at risk of losing their Social Security benefits.
Specially Adapted Housing Program
The Specially Adapted Housing Program is managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The program assists disabled military veterans (including seniors) in the remodeling of their homes. The grant money must be used to modify homes to improve mobility and encourage independent living. Remodeling projects can include changes to bathrooms, hallways, pathways, outdoor spaces, kitchens, doors and flooring. This program extends grant funding up to three remodeling projects per each eligible veteran.
Tags: senior citizens, Adapted Housing, Adapted Housing Program, disasters FEMA, federal grants
