Do you wish there was some way to fix your leaking roof, broke furnace, or old windows, but you just don’t have the money to pay for it? There may be another way to get it done…home grants. As an individual the grant opportunities are slim, but there are ways you can partner with not-for-profits and local governmental agencies to receive a home grant.
The most common source of home grants is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development often referred to as HUD. HUD has many home grant programs that range from repairs to new construction. What is the catch? Usually, the home grants must have a not-for-profit or local governmental agency as the applicant, and the homeowner (that’s you) as the final recipient. This process is not uncommon and assures that the home grant funds are used for its intended purpose. It also helps with HUD’s oversight time, since the applicant must oversee the individual home grants, then reports back to HUD. For information on organizations in your area that might be offering this type of program, please contact your local governmental agencies.
HUD is just one of several sources that offer home grants. If you are interested as a not-for-profit or local governmental agency in administering a program that offers individuals home grants visit www.grants.gov. This is an electronic grant submission system used by all federal agencies to list their grant opportunities. You can search home grant opportunities, register for the home grant, and submit your grant application all through this system. The electronic grants system can be hard to navigate and may take some time to complete registration. Some of the information you must enter into grants.gov is identification information from other agencies. Your organization must be pre-registered with Dunn and Brad Street and with CCR (Central Contractor Registration). After you have received your identification number from Dunn and Brad Street and completed the CCR, you can complete the grants.gov registration and be on your way to applying for home grants. Be careful to allow for enough time to complete everything required and have the system verify the information.
The information on home grants can be difficult to understand for those not accustom to federal grants. It may be necessary to contact the granting agency directly with questions concerning the home grant application. It is important to download the instructions and application packet to your computer for review several weeks or months in advance of the home grant application deadline.
The administration of home grants can be time consuming, but it is a great way to provide homeowners the opportunity to receive home grants for repairs, renovations, and, in some instances, new construction of homes (mainly for the elderly and disabled). Remember, this is a great way to spruce up neighborhoods, revitalize areas, and create a better community atmosphere!