Paying for Home Safety Changes: Programs That Can Help

Here is an example, not a real person. A retired school bus driver wants grab bars in the shower and a second stair railing before he shares his home. The quote is more than he wants to spend at once, and he does not know where to ask.

Help exists, but it is scattered across federal, state, local, and nonprofit programs, each with its own rules, limits, and waiting lists. This guide lists the main ones and how to reach them. For what to change, and which repairs to handle first, see "Making your home safer to age in and to share."

Where to start

• Your Area Agency on Aging. Call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 to find yours, and ask what home repair help exists locally.
• The Home Modification Information Network¹, from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, lists funding sources and programs by state.
• Your state housing finance agency² and your city or county housing office may know of local repair programs.

Federal programs

• USDA Section 504 Home Repair loans and grants. For homeowners who live in the home in eligible rural areas. Loans are for low- and very-low-income homeowners who cannot get affordable credit elsewhere. Grants, which remove health and safety hazards, are only for very-low-income homeowners 62 or older. Income limits are set by county. As of September 2026, USDA lists loans up to $40,000 at a fixed 1% for 20 years, grants up to $10,000, and up to $50,000 combined. A grant must be repaid if the home is sold in less than three years³.
• HUD Older Adults Home Modification Program. HUD funds local grantees that provide low-cost safety and accessibility changes for low-income older homeowners⁴. You do not apply to HUD; ask your Area Agency on Aging whether a local grantee serves your area.
• Older Americans Act services. Area Agencies on Aging can refer you to modification help, and some offer safety assessments⁵.
• Medicaid home and community-based services waivers. States may cover home accessibility changes, such as ramps, grab bars, or wider doorways, when they are in a person's service plan. States choose who is eligible and may cap enrollment, so waiting lists are possible⁶. Ask your state Medicaid agency.
• VA grants for veterans with disabilities. HISA pays for medically necessary changes, such as bathroom or entrance access. As of September 2026, VA lists a lifetime benefit of up to $6,800 for a service-connected disability, and also for a non-service-connected disability if the veteran has a service-connected rating of at least 50%. Other qualifying disabilities have a lifetime limit of up to $2,000⁷. As of September 2026, for qualifying service-connected disabilities, VA lists fiscal year 2026 maximums of $126,526 for Specially Adapted Housing and $25,350 for Special Home Adaptation⁸.
• Weatherization Assistance Program. This Department of Energy program lowers energy costs for low-income households while ensuring their health and safety. Apply through your state⁹.
• LIHEAP. Beyond energy bills, the program can help with weatherization and energy-related minor home repairs¹⁰. What states offer varies.
• Medicare. Original Medicare covers some equipment a doctor orders, such as walkers¹¹, but generally does not pay for home modifications such as ramps or widened doorways¹². Some Medicare Advantage plans offer limited extras, such as bathroom safety devices¹³. Check your plan or ask your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.

Nonprofit and local help

• Rebuilding Together Safe at Home. Local affiliates provide no-cost preventive home modifications, such as grab bars, railings, lighting, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors (Safe at Home; find your local affiliate).
• Habitat for Humanity Aging in Place. Some local Habitat affiliates offer home repairs, modifications, and connections to community services (Aging in Place; find your local Habitat).
• State and local programs. Some cities, counties, and states run their own repair grants and loans; the offices under "Where to start" can point you to them.

Taxes: the medical expense deduction

Some home changes made for medical care may count toward a medical expense deduction, depending on the change, your home, and your whole return. The IRS rules are in IRS Publication 502, for 2025 returns. Free VITA and Tax Counseling for the Elderly sites offer basic tax help, and the IRS notes that services vary by site. Before you book, call and confirm the site can handle rental income from a room and the medical expense deduction. If not, ask a paid tax professional. Questions to ask: Does this change qualify? Does any increase in my home's value reduce what counts? Do I itemize, and are my medical expenses high enough to deduct? Does renting out a room change the answer?

Does rent from a home seeker affect eligibility?

It depends on the program. Ask each one before you apply:

• Do you count rent from a room as income, and do you subtract expenses first?
• Does another adult in the home change my household size or eligibility?
• If I start sharing after I receive help, do I need to report it, and could it affect a grant I must repay?

Our guide "Will sharing my home affect my benefits?" covers how rent can affect other benefits.

Questions to ask before you apply

• Who is eligible, and is there a waiting list?
• Is this a grant, a loan, or a deferred loan, and when would I repay it?
• Does it place a lien on my home?
• Who chooses the contractor, and who checks the work?
• What happens if I sell, move, or share my home?

Conversation starters

If you are an adult child or friend talking with an older adult:

• "Would you like me to sit in on the call to the Area Agency on Aging?"
• "Should we list what you want changed first?"
• "Which change matters most to you right now?"

If you are an older adult talking with family or caregivers:

• "Would you help me with this application?"
• "Before I sign anything, I want to know whether it's a grant or a loan."
• "I'd rather pay for a small change myself than wait a year on a list."

Help exists, but it is scattered across federal, state, local, and nonprofit programs, each with its own rules, limits, and waiting lists.

Last reviewed September 25, 2026