Program
USDA rural home repair loans and grants
USDA money for very-low-income homeowners in rural areas to fix safety problems. Grants are for ages 62 and up.
What it can pay for
- septic and well
- electrical
- roof
- heating and air
- plumbing
- grab bars
- ramps
- roll-in shower
- raised toilet
- Official name
- USDA Section 504 Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants
- Where
- Nationwide
- Status
- Program running
- Most it pays
- $10,000 lifetime
- About the amount
- Grant: up to $10,000 lifetime (62+ only); must be repaid in full if the home is sold within 3 years of the grant agreement. Loan (any age): up to $40,000 at a fixed 1% over 20 years; RD records a lien on the home once loans total $7,500+. Combined loan+grant up to $50,000.
- Housing rules
- Owner-occupied only. Mobile/manufactured homes eligible only for health/safety repairs if you own the home AND the land, lived there before applying, and it's on (or going onto) a permanent foundation.
- How long it takes
- No published timeline; work must be scheduled to finish within 9 months of loan closing.
- How to apply
- Contact the local USDA Rural Development home-loan specialist for your state; optional prequalification (RD 3550-35 plus RD 3550-1), then a full application (RD 410-4, RD 3550-1, RD 3550-4, and the Attachment 12-E checklist).
- Does not pay for
- Grant excludes purely cosmetic work (the loan can cover it); new construction, moving a mobile home, off-site work, refinancing old debts, and for-profit packager fees are excluded from both.
- Official source
- rd.usda.gov
- Last checked
- September 28, 2026