Housing & home repair · Nationwide
Free Home Repairs and Safety Modifications (Rebuilding Together)
Volunteers install grab bars, ramps, and railings and make critical repairs, at no cost to the homeowner.
Written and checked by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward · Checked August 25, 2026
What it is typically worth
$500 – $15,000 a year
An estimate for a typical household. Your amount depends on your income, your state, and your situation.
What this program is, in plain English
Rebuilding Together is a national nonprofit with local affiliates that repair homes for free. For older homeowners the work is usually safety work: grab bars in the bathroom, a ramp at the front door, handrails on the stairs, better lighting, a working smoke alarm, a leaking roof, a broken furnace. You pay nothing. Not every county has an affiliate, so if yours does not, ask your Area Agency on Aging about home modification money, which many of them hold under the Older Americans Act, and ask whether your state Medicaid waiver will pay for bathroom modifications.
What you actually get
Free labor and materials for safety modifications and critical repairs on an owner-occupied home.
Who qualifies
- Income limit: Not yet verified — call to confirm
- Limits are a percentage of area median income and vary by affiliate.
- Affiliates set their own income limits, commonly at or below 80% of area median income, and generally prioritize older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities.
What to have ready
- Deed or proof of ownership
- Proof of income
- Photo identification
- Proof of homeowners insurance in some places
How to apply
This program is run by Rebuilding Together local affiliates. Most decisions take Projects are often scheduled seasonally, so several months.
Timing matters
We are not a government agency. These links go straight to the agency that runs the program. Applying is always free.
Every program on this site is free to apply for. Anyone who asks you to pay to apply, or to “unlock” a government benefit, is a scam — hang up and call Senior Medicare Patrol or 211.
Report something wrong on this page
Sources
- Program page — rebuildingtogether.org
- Rebuilding Together local affiliates — rebuildingtogether.org
- Legal authority: Private 501(c)(3) charitable home repair; often braided with HUD Community Development Block Grant funds under 42 U.S.C. § 5305
Checked August 25, 2026 by Jason Burns (http fetch + browser + content check 2026-08-25). Licensed under the Citation License 1.0.
Related programs
- USDA Section 504 Home Repair Grants for Homeowners 62 and OlderUp to $10,000 that does not have to be paid back, to remove a health or safety hazard from your home.
- HUD Section 202 Supportive Housing for the ElderlyApartment buildings built only for people 62 and older, where rent is set at 30 percent of your income.
- Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)A voucher that pays part of your rent in a regular apartment you choose yourself.
- Senior Property Tax ReliefHomestead exemptions, senior freezes, circuit breakers, and deferrals that can cut or pause your property tax bill.
Not sure if this one is for you?
The free screener checks you against every program at once. It takes about two minutes and never asks for your name or phone number.
Start the free screener