All tools · Home Repair Grant Finder FL

Can seniors in rural Florida get USDA grants to fix their home?

Use the free tool — Home Repair Grant Finder FL

What USDA Section 504 covers

The USDA Section 504 Home Repair program helps homeowners in rural areas fix problems that make a home unsafe or unhealthy. It offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest, and grants up to $10,000, for owners age 62 and older who are very-low-income.

The grant money is meant to remove health and safety hazards — not for cosmetic upgrades. Source: USDA — Section 504 Home Repair.

Who this is for

• You must be 62 or older to qualify for a grant. Loans are available to other very-low-income owners too.
• Your household income must be very-low-income, as USDA defines it.
• You must own and live in the home as your primary residence.
• Your home must be in an eligible rural area — USDA confirms this, not this page.

This is not legal or financial advice. USDA decides who qualifies. Confirm with the program directly.

Other rules that usually apply

Most home-repair assistance also requires current property taxes and homeowners insurance (or a plan to get it), a clear title, and staying in the home for a set period if part of the help is a loan that gets forgiven over time.

If your county also runs a State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program, a Weatherization Assistance Program, or if your roof needs wind-hardening, ask about those too. They can sometimes be layered with USDA help, and some cover things USDA doesn't.

• Florida Housing — SHIP local contacts
• FloridaCommerce — Weatherization Assistance
• My Safe Florida Home (Florida DFS) — free wind-mitigation inspection and matching grants; check the current round.

Before you hire anyone

Apply before you sign with a contractor. Many programs can't pay for work that's already done or already contracted. When you do hire someone, use only licensed contractors.

What's still unknown

This page can't tell you the exact income limit for your county, whether your address counts as "rural," or how long a waiting list is. USDA and your county housing office have those answers.

What to do next

The free tool on this site reads your own situation — the repair needed, who lives there, your county, and your rough household income — and tells you which programs, including USDA Section 504, likely fit, what each pays for, and the order to apply in. Nothing you type is stored.

This is not legal, medical, or tax advice. Home Repair Grant Finder FL is not a government agency and can be wrong. Confirm eligibility, rules, and deadlines with the program or your county housing office.

Home Repair Grant Finder FL lists Florida and federal home-repair assistance programs in plain language from official sources; it can be wrong, and it is not legal or financial advice. Eligibility is determined only by the program. Nothing you type is stored.