Charities That Help With Home Repairs Near Me: Who to Call and How to Ask

Where charities that help with home repairs near me are found

There is no single national home repair charity you can apply to. Instead, help comes from local groups, each with its own funding, volunteers, and waitlist. Many are partly funded by government grants, so they often use income rules based on area median income or the federal poverty guidelines.

The best way to search is by group type:

1. National networks with local chapters: Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together.
2. Government-funded nonprofits: Community Action agencies (weatherization) and Area Agencies on Aging.
3. Faith-based groups: Catholic Charities, church repair ministries, and volunteer work crews.
4. A local directory: dial 211 and ask for “home repair” or “home modification” programs in your county.

Most charities serve homeowners who live in the home. If you rent, repairs are usually your landlord’s job, though weatherization programs can work with your landlord.

Habitat for Humanity home repair and aging in place

Habitat for Humanity is best known for building homes, but many local affiliates also repair existing homes. Program names vary, such as home repair, critical repair, or aging in place. Habitat says age and income rules are set by each local affiliate, that it generally works with people with low incomes, and that aging-in-place services usually serve people in their early to mid-60s and older.

Work Habitat lists for aging in place includes:

• Inside: grab bars, better lighting, floor repairs, accessible toilets and sinks, walk-in showers, and energy-saving doors and windows.
• Outside: entrance ramps, new roofs, siding and paint, and porch repairs.

Some affiliates do only outside or only inside work. Costs also vary. Some affiliates ask homeowners to pay part of the cost, repay an affordable loan, or help with the work, while others charge nothing. Ask your affiliate how its program works before you apply. Use Habitat’s local affiliate finder to get the right office.

Rebuilding Together safe and healthy housing

Rebuilding Together makes essential repairs so neighbors can stay in their homes. Its work follows a “Safe and Healthy Housing” approach that targets health and safety hazards. The national group was once known as Christmas in April, and some local chapters still hold a big volunteer repair day each spring.

Local affiliates choose which homes to help and whether repairs are free. They often focus on older adults, people with disabilities, veterans, and families with low incomes. Repairs commonly include fixing roofs, adding ramps and grab bars, repairing steps, and fixing plumbing or electrical hazards. Find your chapter on the Rebuilding Together affiliate page. If there is no chapter near you, ask 211 about similar volunteer groups.

Free weatherization through Community Action

The federal Weatherization Assistance Program pays for energy repairs, usually through your local Community Action agency. The Department of Energy says the program weatherizes about 32,000 homes a year with its funds, and that households save $372 or more a year on average.

According to the Department of Energy’s how to apply page:

• Households at or below 200% of the poverty guidelines qualify, as do households receiving SSI. Some states use LIHEAP rules instead.
• Older adults, families with a member who has a disability, families with children, and households with high energy costs get priority.
• Renters can apply; the provider gets the landlord’s permission first.
• Eligible households are often placed on a waitlist.

Weatherization can include insulation, air sealing, and heating system work, with health and safety checks. Find your agency through the Community Action Partnership locator. If your furnace is broken, also apply for LIHEAP, which in many states pays for furnace repair or replacement.

Area Agencies on Aging and senior repair help

If you are 60 or older, your local Area Agency on Aging is a good call. Some agencies fund minor home repairs, grab bars, and ramps, or keep lists of trusted repair programs. Services and funding differ from place to place, so ask what is available in your county. The Eldercare Locator connects you with your agency by phone or text at 1-800-677-1116, or by online chat. Our guide to home repair help for seniors covers more options for older homeowners.

Catholic Charities, churches, and volunteer crews

Many faith-based groups run home repair ministries. Volunteer crews may build ramps, patch roofs, fix steps, or do yard and safety work for older or disabled neighbors. You usually do not need to belong to the church to get help.

• Catholic Charities: local agencies offer different services. Some run home repair or housing programs, and others can refer you. Use the Catholic Charities find help page.
• Local churches and ministries: ask the largest churches in your area, or a local ministerial alliance, whether they run a repair team.
• Youth and volunteer work camps: some faith groups send summer volunteer teams to repair homes in a chosen town. Ask 211 or local churches whether one is coming to your area.
• Service clubs: local Rotary, Lions, and Kiwanis clubs sometimes build ramps or fund repairs.

Repair help for veterans

Veterans may have extra options. Some Habitat and Rebuilding Together chapters run repair programs for veterans. Veterans with certain service-connected disabilities may qualify for VA disability housing grants to adapt a home, such as for wheelchair access. A county veterans service officer can help you apply for free.

When a charity can’t cover it: USDA 504 and local grants

Big repairs, like a full roof or a new septic system, can cost more than a charity can give. In rural areas, the USDA Section 504 program offers home repair loans and grants to very low-income homeowners. Under the federal rules for the program, grants go up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 and older, and loans go up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years, with a $50,000 combined limit. A grant must be repaid if you sell within three years. Read our full Section 504 home repair program guide.

Cities and counties also run repair programs using federal block grant money. Ask your city housing or community development office. Our list of federal home repair grants explains each one.

Comparing your options side by side

How to ask for help so your request moves forward

Repair charities get many more requests than they can fill. A clear, complete request helps staff decide quickly.

• Lead with safety: say what is unsafe, such as “the roof leaks into the bedroom” or “I can’t use the stairs.”
• Take photos of the problem and keep any contractor estimates.
• Have proof ready: photo ID, proof you own and live in the home (deed or tax bill), homeowners insurance, and income proof for everyone in the home.
• Mention your situation: age, disability, veteran status, or children in the home may raise your priority.
• Ask about the waitlist and how long it usually takes, then apply to more than one program.
• Follow up politely every few weeks, and tell them if the problem gets worse.

Many programs require property taxes and mortgage payments to be current. If you are behind, ask whether they can still help or refer you to someone who can.

Avoiding repair scams

Real charities do not charge an application fee and do not show up at your door offering a “free government grant” for repairs. Be careful with anyone who demands cash up front, pressures you to sign that day, or offers to “handle the paperwork” for a fee. Before letting any contractor start, get a written estimate and check their license with your state. The FTC explains how to spot government grant scams.

What to do this week, step by step

1. Write down the problem and take photos.
2. Dial 211 and ask for home repair and home modification programs in your county.
3. Contact your local Habitat and Rebuilding Together affiliates.
4. Apply for weatherization at your Community Action agency, and LIHEAP if heat is the problem.
5. Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 if you are 60 or older.
6. Ask about USDA 504 if you live in a rural area and need a bigger repair.

Related guides

• Financial assistance for home repairs
• Government home repair assistance programs
• Government grants for windows and doors
• Hardship grants for individuals

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Charity programs, waitlists, and rules vary by location and change often, so confirm details with each group. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with any charity or government agency listed here.