Accessibility modification grants help those with disabilities have more freedom in their homes
Home modification grants cover a wide range of accessible modifications, including wheelchair ramps, lowering kitchen cabinets, and installing chair lifts.
Home modification grants are available through the federal and state government, as well as private organizations.
If you don’t qualify for home modification grants, you might consider modifying your home using rehabilitation loans.
If you, (or someone your love), lives with a disability, you might be eligible for a home modification grant. Federal, state, and private organizations all offer a wide range of programs and services that benefit different people, such as veterans and seniors. Read on to learn more about these beneficial programs, and how to apply.
Federal and state agencies and private organizations invest in people with disabilities through home modification grants (money you don’t have to pay back). They vary in award amounts, designated groups of people like veterans, senior citizens, and low-income earners, and what improvements they’ll cover. They also require an application process.
Disability grants cover a wide range of home modifications inside and outside of the house, but, if you’re moving to a new home, they don’t cover moving assistance. They can be as extensive as accessible outdoor landscaping and widening hallways, or as simple as adding non-slip flooring. Other common projects include lowering thermostat panels and kitchen cabinets, and updating to universal bathroom designs for anyone with mobility issues.
Depending on the agency or group, some grants cover all of the expenses and some only cover portions.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has a set of recommendations and requirements for commercial buildings. They do not need to be followed in a residential home—but they’re really good ideas. I use most of the ADA guidelines as a template for home accessibility. An accessible home doesn’t necessarily need to look industrial like it does in a public building. Some manufacturers make some beautiful stuff that you wouldn’t even know are designed for accessibility.”
— Gregory Pittman, Director of Commercial Painting Services at Five Star Painting
The costs vary depending on how much work your local home remodeling pro needs to do, but the average disability modification costs about $4,350.
Here’s a look at common modification projects and their costs:
| Modification | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Wheelchair ramp | $950–$3,000 |
| Wheelchair ramp repairs | $560–$2,000 |
| Elevator | $2,600–$6,300 |
| Elevator or lift repair and replacement | $180–$530 |
| Grab bars and handrails | $100–$500 |
| Widening doors | $700–$2,500 |
| Walk-in tubs designed for mobility issues | $1,000–$17,000 |
Each grant has guidelines for applying, so read over the requirements and eligibility criteria before starting. You can expect that federal and state grants will need a significant amount of documentation like bank documents, tax returns, and medical history.
In addition to financial records, private organizations could ask for your personal background, unique circumstances, and how you would use the grant money to improve your home and lifestyle. Looking into home modification tips might help you narrow down the features that you can mention in your application.
The good news is that there are many organizations offering grants. Once you learn to find the grants and apply, you’ll be on your way to making life-changing modifications to your home.
Veterans, in particular, can take advantage of federal grants, but there are opportunities for other groups of people.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers grants for Specially Adapted Housing, Special Housing Adaptation, and Temporary Residence Adaptation.
Rebuilding Together AmeriCorps helps families with one or more members with disabilities update their house.
The Rural Housing Repair Loans and Grants Program is operated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It provides grants for low-income people over 62 years old who prefer to age in place.
The Assisted Living Conversion Program (ALCP), operated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is designed for the elderly with disabilities who need home renovations and possibly an aide’s assistance.
The Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant is a federal program offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that helps veterans with disabilities remodel their homes for accessibility. The grant provides a benefit of up to $6,800 to make necessary structural changes to accommodate their needs, such as installing ramps, widening entrances, lowering countertops, and making living areas more accessible.
Sometimes the best help is local. Check your home state’s chapters of national organizations to improve your accessible housing options.
USDA state offices at local levels sometimes have more flexibility and a wider range of eligibility.
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks has chapters countrywide. Local chapters provide a variety of help for disabled community members.
Lions Clubs International offers help for hearing impairment and vision disability adaptations.
The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) is a one-stop shop for organizations in your state that provide housing modification assistance.
The American Parkinson Disease Association funds grants for people with disabilities due to degenerative disease.
The National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification publishes a state directory with home modification and financial assistance resources.
Regardless of where you live, you can ask these organizations for assistance; just read over their application process for eligibility.
The Gary Sinise Foundation’s Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment (RISE) serves veterans by funding mobility devices, adapted vehicles, modifying homes, and constructing new houses.
The American Red Cross works with active military service members, veterans, and their families with disabilities to find ways to modify their homes.
The Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) provides aid to disabled soldiers, veterans, and their families for expenses related to independent living.
The Self-Sufficiency Grant from ModestNeeds.Org supports low-income and disabled people who struggle with paying for adaptable home repairs.
The Individual Adaptive Equipment Grant from the Travis Roy Foundation assists people who’ve suffered a spinal cord injury and could benefit from improvements like ramps or grab bars.
If you don’t qualify for a grant, you may be eligible for an affordable home improvement loan. Shop a few local lenders for the best rates, but start with these options when researching loans. These are rehabilitation loans that let you refinance your current mortgage and add in the cost of your home modifications into the payments.
To qualify for a home modification grant, a disabled person must live in the house. But who will qualify for any given home modification grant depends on the criteria required by each individual grant issuer, whether it’s an organization, state, or federal government. It’s important to look at the specific requirements for each grant.
Other types of home improvement grants available are for those with very low-income housing, elderly people needing assistance, older adults who want to age in place, and veterans. These grants can range from helping with accessible modifications to improving critical issues that may affect the resident’s health or safety.
Yes, it is possible to get a free home modification depending on the organization providing the modification funding. Home modification grants have different criteria and offerings based on the applicant’s disability, place of residence, and financial circumstances, as well as their own budget.
