USDA Rural Development has approximately $270,000 in grants available statewide for very low income homeowners for home repair to correct or remove existing health, safety, sanitary and accessibility issues.
Grants up to $7,500 may be available to eligible households. This program is available to those homeowners living in communities of fewer than 20,000 people.
To be eligible for a grant, applicants must own a home, be 62 or older, meet appropriate citizenship status, not have excess assets or the ability to afford a loan, and must have appropriate legal capacity.
A home repair loan program is also available to qualified very low income households in an amount up to $20,000 repayable over 20 years at a 1 percent interest rate. Applicants do not need to be 62 to qualify for the loan program but must meet all other eligibility requirements and have a household budget that supports the loan payment. Available loan funds are limited.
Examples of home repairs include replacing siding, installing new windows, a new furnace, roof shingles, removing health or safety hazards and connecting to city water or sewer services.
For more information, contact the Baxter Rural Development office at 218-829-5965 ext. 4. Visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/mn.
