{"id":14471,"date":"2024-07-04T13:44:19","date_gmt":"2024-07-04T13:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/?p=14471"},"modified":"2024-07-27T13:05:07","modified_gmt":"2024-07-27T13:05:07","slug":"how-can-i-get-help-with-home-repairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/how-can-i-get-help-with-home-repairs\/","title":{"rendered":"How Can I Get Help With Home Repairs?"},"content":{"rendered":"

First, DO NOT get scammed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Identity Theft<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t give away personal information. Anyone can be a victim of identity theft. Don\u2019t fill out an online application that asks for your bank account information, Social Security number or anything else that can be used to steal your identity.<\/p>\n

You might think you are applying for help, but the information you are filling in can be used by an identity thief to open a loan and borrow money in your name, leaving you in debt.<\/p>\n

Not-so-handy Men<\/h2>\n

Be careful when you hire someone to repair your home.  Don\u2019t hand off a bunch of money to some guy off a Facebook Garage Sale page. Even if a handyman is honest, if he doesn\u2019t know what he\u2019s doing, you can end up worse off than before he started.<\/p>\n

Building permits and inspections are a good thing. Electric, plumbing, HVAC and structural repairs often require a permit. The inspector will make sure the work is done correctly.<\/p>\n

Assistance Programs<\/h2>\n

There are a lot of programs available to help low-income homeowners repair your home.  Just ask. If you don’t qualify for one program, ask for recommendations of programs you might qualify for. Don’t give up. There are a lot of programs out there and you might have to be a squeaky wheel to get help.<\/p>\n

USDA Rural Development Section 504 Home Repair Program
\nSingle Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants<\/h3>\n

This program offers grants up to $10,000 and loans up to $40,000 to very-low-income homeowners.<\/p>\n

Grants <\/strong>do not have to be paid back. To qualify for a grant, you must be 62 or older. The grant can only be used for health and safety hazards.<\/p>\n

Loans<\/strong> have to be paid back over 20 years at an interest rate of only 1%. The money must be used to repair, improve or modernize your home.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

See if your home qualifies: USDA Income and Property Eligibility Site<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Habitat for Humanity<\/h3>\n

Local volunteers \u201cmake repairs affordable, so low-income homeowners can continue to live independently and securely in their homes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Repairs include roof, porch and deck, doors and windows, siding, painting, and heating and cooling.<\/p>\n

To qualify you have to own your home and live there for at least a year, have homeowner\u2019s insurance and earn no more than 80% of HUD median income ($68,560 for one person, $78,320 for a couple).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Find your Local Habitat for Humanity<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

NC Housing Finance Agency<\/h3>\n

NC Housing Finance Agency provides interest-free, deferred loans, forgiven at up to $8,000 a year, to pay for necessary repairs focused on health and safety.  The program works with local governments and nonprofit organizations for home repair and rehabilitation.<\/p>\n

NC Housing Urgent Repair Program offers interest-free loans for emergency home repairs if you are 62 or older or have special needs and earn less than 50% of the median income for your area. Loan repayment can be deferred or even forgiven at $3,000 a year.<\/p>\n

Find community partners and programs near you:  NCHFA Community Partners<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Social Services<\/h3>\n

Social Services knows about many programs in your area. Contact your local Department of Social Services. The Energy Assistance Crisis Intervention Program<\/strong> is available if you earn up to 150% of Federal Poverty Level. The Low Income Energy Assistance Program<\/strong> can assist anyone 60 or older or disabled.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Weatherization Assistance Program<\/h3>\n

The Weatherization Assistance Program inspects your home and provides solutions to help lower your energy costs and make your home healthier and safer. Local work crews and\/or contractors will weatherize your home to make it more energy-efficient.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Find out more about the Weatherization Assistance Program<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Featured image FEMA Photo Library by Patsy Lynch<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First, DO NOT get scammed. Identity Theft Don\u2019t give away personal information. Anyone can be a victim of identity theft. Don\u2019t fill out an online application that asks for your bank account information, Social Security number or anything else that can be used to steal …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14472,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/featured-repairs.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15347,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/12\/do-i-have-to-have-a-20-down-payment-to-buy-a-home\/","url_meta":{"origin":14471,"position":0},"title":"Do I have to have a 20% down payment to buy a home?","author":"Carla","date":"December 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"No. You may not even have to have a down payment at all! You can borrow more than 80% of the price of the house you are buying. You can actually borrow a lot more. \u00a0If you are buying your first home, or haven\u2019t owned a home in three years,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Research"","block_context":{"text":"Research","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/research\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Newly-completed homes in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of West Greenville, North Carolina Greenville Housing Division offers numerous programs to help low- to moderate-income buyers and homeowners.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/featured_mortgage.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/featured_mortgage.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/featured_mortgage.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/featured_mortgage.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10877,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/why-not-rent-to-own\/","url_meta":{"origin":14471,"position":1},"title":"Why not Rent to Own?","author":"Carla","date":"October 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"There are a lot of dangers to Rent to Own. Is there a safe way to rent to own? What are some other options? Scams All of the ads I have seen lately for Rent to Own are scams. It is not very hard to tell that they are scams.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Research"","block_context":{"text":"Research","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/research\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/featured-rent-to-own-b.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/featured-rent-to-own-b.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/featured-rent-to-own-b.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/featured-rent-to-own-b.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12755,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2023\/10\/how-do-i-get-a-mortgage-on-a-trailer\/","url_meta":{"origin":14471,"position":2},"title":"How Do I Get a Mortgage on a Trailer?","author":"Carla","date":"October 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"I qualify for a FHA First Time Home Buyers loan. I found a trailer I can afford. What repairs need be made so that it will pass the appraisal? It is a single-wide trailer with an addition permanently set up on land that comes with it. The first step is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Research"","block_context":{"text":"Research","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/research\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/featured-appraisal.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/featured-appraisal.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/featured-appraisal.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/featured-appraisal.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15278,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2024\/11\/raise-rebuild-repair-or-sell-out-hazard-mitigation-grant-program-help-options\/","url_meta":{"origin":14471,"position":3},"title":"Raise, Rebuild, Repair or Sell Out: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Help Options","author":"Carla","date":"November 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"If your North Carolina home was affected by Hurricane Helene and PTC8 (Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight, the storm we got before Helene), the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is accepting applications.* The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is managed by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety\u2019s Division of Emergency Management. This\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Research"","block_context":{"text":"Research","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/research\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-lift_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-lift_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-lift_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/featured-lift_house.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16816,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/fema-trailers-and-campers-auctioned\/","url_meta":{"origin":14471,"position":4},"title":"FEMA Trailers and Campers Auctioned","author":"Carla","date":"March 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Last night (March 9, 2026) our local channel 13 news, News 13 (WLOS) had a brief report on what is going on with FEMA trailers and campers. They showed them being moved out to be auctioned off. Hundreds of FEMA trailers that were placed in Hickory after Helene are being\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Campers"","block_context":{"text":"Campers","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/campers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Featured image photo by John Shea","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-FEMA-trailers.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-FEMA-trailers.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-FEMA-trailers.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/featured-FEMA-trailers.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1315,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/building-a-new-house-buying-land\/","url_meta":{"origin":14471,"position":5},"title":"Building a New House – Buying Land","author":"Carla","date":"June 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"This summer I walked past a for sale sign on a piece of land near our house when I was out walking the dogs. It was a beautiful piece of land I had never noticed before. I love where we live. And I love our house. But since we got\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Our New House"","block_context":{"text":"Our New House","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/new-house\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"New Land","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/featured_image-new_land-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/featured_image-new_land-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/featured_image-new_land-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/featured_image-new_land-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/featured_image-new_land-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C632&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14471"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14616,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14471\/revisions\/14616"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}