Grants for Michigan Homeowners

Grants make keeping and maintaining your home easier.

A home is one of the most expensive purchases anyone makes during the course of his lifetime. Even if the property sells for little more than change, it must be maintained properly and taxes must be paid. Since not everyone can afford these expenses, grants are available to prevent individuals from losing their homes and to promote property upkeep.

Community Block Grant

The Michigan State Housing Authority offers the Community Block Grant through the state's County Allocation Program. This grant is not given directly to the homeowner. Instead, it is given to the county. The county then redistributes the grant money in the form of deferred loans to the homeowner. The loans may be used for home-related expenses such as mortgage payments or improvements that would ensure the safety of the property. To qualify, a homeowner's income must be 80 percent or less than that of the area median.
Michigan State Housing Authority
735 E. Michigan Ave
P.O. Box 30044
Lansing, MI 48909
[phone]
www.michigan.gov/mshda

Neighborhood Preservation Program

Homeowners have the most difficulty maintaining a home when it is in a poor neighborhood whose property values are due to the quality of the structures. The Michigan State Housing Authority offers Neighborhood Preservation Program grants designed to beautify areas, making them more manageable and increasing property value. The grant is not awarded to individuals, but individuals may benefit from the grant if they can persuade a local government or nonprofit organization to apply on their behalf.
Michigan State Housing Authority
735 E. Michigan Ave.
P.O. Box 30044
Lansing, MI 48909
[phone]
www.michigan.gov/mshda

HUD Grants

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Home Repair Loan and Grant Program is designed specifically to help with home repair and improvement. Targeted at disabled homeowners and low income families, this program gives loans that go toward improvements such as fixing roofs, modifying a home for handicap accessibility or getting running water. Homeowners who are 62 years or older are eligible for the grant, but the program also provides loans for other low income families at 1 percent interest. Income must be at 50 percent or less than than the area median.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 Seventh St. S.W.
Washington, DC 20410
[phone]
www.hud.gov
or
State of Michigan
Housing Development Authority
P.O. Box 30044
Lansing, MI 48909-7544
[phone]
[e-mail]
www.hud.gov

References

• HUD: Home Repairs
• MSHDA: Grants