Program
HUD home-modification program for older adults
A federal program that pays local groups to make low-cost safety changes in older people's homes.
What it can pay for
- grab bars
- handrails
- ramps
- lighting
- flooring
- raised toilet
- tub cut
- assistive devices
- Official name
- HUD Older Adults Home Modification Program
- Where
- Nationwide
- Status
- Program running
- About the amount
- No cash to the senior — free in-kind service. Average cost is about $5,400/home (Cohort 1 evaluation, excludes assessor salaries); HUD pre-approval required above $15,000/home. FY2026 pool: $64M across ~32 grantee awards of $2M-$3M each.
- Housing rules
- Owners and renters both qualify (FY2026), except renters getting project-based rental assistance. Individual grantees may still limit help to owners only (example: ECIA, Iowa).
- How long it takes
- Homeowner-side wait not published; grantee performance period runs roughly Nov 2026-Nov 2029.
- How to apply
- Find the local grantee via HUD's award table or your Area Agency on Aging; apply directly to that grantee, not to HUD.
- Does not pay for
- Big-ticket/structural work (roof, furnace, foundation, full bathroom remodel) is usually out of scope; anything over $15,000/home needs HUD pre-approval.
- Official source
- simpler.grants.gov
- Last checked
- September 28, 2026