Housing and home repair
USDA home repair loans and grants
USDA's Section 504 Home Repair program lends very-low-income homeowners in rural areas money at 1% interest to repair their homes. Homeowners 62 and older may also get grants to remove health and safety hazards or make the home accessible. USDA Rural Development runs the program.
Who may qualify
| Home | You own the home and live in it |
|---|---|
| Age for a grant | 62 or older when you apply |
| Income limit | Household adjusted income at or below USDA's very low-income limit for your area |
| Where the home is | In a rural area, as USDA defines it |
| Savings rule for households 62 or older or disabled | Savings over $20,000 must go toward the repairs first |
| Other credit | You can't get affordable credit or grants elsewhere |
| For a loan | Enough income to repay it. A cosigner or other household members can join the application. |
| Citizenship | U.S. citizen, or a non-citizen who qualifies as a "legal alien" under USDA's rules |
Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives) (source 3)
What you may get
| Loan | 1% interest, repaid over 20 years |
|---|---|
| Grant (62 or older) | For repairs that remove health and safety hazards, or to make the home accessible for someone with a disability |
| What a loan can pay for | General repairs and improvements, or removing health and safety hazards, as long as the home stays modest |
Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives) (source 5)
Dates, renewals and waiting lists
| When to apply | Any time. USDA takes applications even when money has run out. |
|---|---|
| Who's served first when money is short | Applications to remove health and safety hazards |
Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives) (source 4)
Good to know
- To find a Rural Development office in your state, use USDA's state office list at rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices.
- If you sell the home less than 3 years after signing the grant agreement, you must repay the whole grant.
- A mobile or manufactured home may qualify for hazard repairs if you own both the home and the land, and it is or will be on a permanent foundation.
- The money can't be used to build a new home or move a mobile home to another site.
- USDA's Income and Property Eligibility site lets you check whether a home is in an eligible rural area.
- If USDA turns you down, it must tell you why in writing.
- If you have questions about how immigration status affects eligibility, a free legal aid office can help. The Legal Services Corporation's finder lists the one near you.
Sources: USAGov (source 9), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives) (source 6), U.S. Department of Agriculture (source 7), Legal Services Corporation (source 8)
Sources
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives), 7 CFR 3550.101: Program objectives (Section 504 loans and grants) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives), 7 CFR 3550.102: Grant and loan purposes (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives), 7 CFR 3550.103: Eligibility requirements (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives), 7 CFR 3550.104: Applications (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives), 7 CFR 3550.113: Rates and terms (loans only) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (National Archives), 7 CFR 3550.114: Repayment agreement (grants only) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Income and Property Eligibility Site (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Legal Services Corporation, I Need Legal Help (find LSC-funded legal aid) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- USAGov, Rural Development (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
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