Indiana Grants for Home Improvements

Getting a grant for home improvement in Indiana generally involves meeting specific requirements. Typically, these requirements consider the type of entity applying for the grant, the nature of the home the applicant is hoping to improve or both. Knowing where to look, how to apply and eligibility criteria are keys to beginning the process of getting a home improvement grant in Indiana.

This grant is available specifically to rural residents age 62 or older. Eligible repairs are those needed to make a home "more safe and sanitary or to remove health and safety hazards," explains a Rural Development website. Additionally, applicants' eligibility is limited to those whose incomes are less than 50 percent of the area's median. Maximum grants are $7,500. Contact your local USDA Rural Development Office for more information and application materials.

Helping veterans and service members with specific service-related disabilities obtain “a level of independent living he or she may not normally enjoy” is this grant's goal as stated on the VA website. Renovations have to suit the veteran’s needs of living and they don’t need to own the home, only live in it. In 2010, the VA increased the maximum grant amount from $12,000 to $12,756. For paraplegics, the amount increased from $60,000 to $63,780. Contact Brian N. Bixler, Chief, Specially Adapted Housing for further inquiries at 202-461-9546 as of January 2010.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, administers funding for these grants. The Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archeology then disseminates the money within Indiana. As explained on an Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website, there are three types of projects that the division funds. The acquisition and development projects application is for those who have a home listed on the National Register of Historical Buildings and wish to receive funding for restoration through this program. Apply through the DNR grants and financial aid site.

Providing assistance for a wide variety of repairs to homes for lower income families is the hallmark of the South Bend Department of Community Developments SBHIP program. The maximum grant is $17,000; the grant/loan combination maximum is $34,000 with 50 percent of that coming in grants. The house must be within South Bend city limits and be occupied by the owner. Contact the program at 574-235-9660 for further information and applications, taken on a first come-first served basis.