Home Repair Grants in New Hampshire (2026 Guide)
NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME REPAIR GUIDE
Last checked: April 15, 2026
If you own and live in a home in New Hampshire, real repair help does exist. But it usually does not come from one big statewide grant.
In New Hampshire, the real routes are local and specialized. Most homeowners start with their county-region Community Action agency or 211 NH, then add the path that matches the problem: NHSaves income-based weatherization, USDA Rural Development for eligible rural homes, New Hampshire Housing’s Lead & Healthy Homes program, or a local city rehab office where one is open.
Bottom line: Start with the fastest real New Hampshire route, not the perfect-sounding search result. For many people that means one general call to Community Action or 211 NH, plus one specialty call the same day to USDA, a city rehab office, or New Hampshire Housing.
Watch for stale advice: the old New Hampshire Homeowner Assistance Fund closed on March 8, 2024. If you are finding old HomeHelpNH mortgage-relief pages, skip them and use the current repair paths below.
| Need | Best place to start in New Hampshire | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| No heat, drafty house, or very high utility bills | Your local Community Action agency or 211 NH | “Do I qualify for weatherization, Home Energy Assistance, fuel help, or electric/gas bill help?” |
| Roof, furnace, well, septic, or major safety repair in a rural area | USDA Rural Development | “Is my address in an eligible rural area, and could Section 504 home repair help fit?” |
| Code, safety, health, or accessibility repair in Nashua | Nashua Housing Improvement Program | “Is the owner-occupied rehab program open, and is it a grant or a 0% loan?” |
| Lead paint risk in a pre-1978 home with a young child or pregnancy | New Hampshire Housing Lead & Healthy Homes | “Which intake office serves my address, and do I qualify for lead hazard funds or a related healthy homes repair?” |
| Emergency repair in a home financed through New Hampshire Housing | New Hampshire Housing Emergency Home Repair Loan | “I have a New Hampshire Housing mortgage. Can I be screened for the emergency repair loan?” |
| The home is not safe tonight and you may need shelter or emergency basics | 211 NH and your city or town welfare office | “I own the home. It is unsafe because of [problem]. What is the fastest local emergency help, and what repair referrals do you have?” |
| Program or pathway | What kind of help it is | Who it may fit best | What it may cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Action + NHSaves income-eligible energy help | Direct repair service and weatherization. Not a cash grant. Current NHSaves language says eligible work can be covered at 100%. | Income-qualified homeowners and renters | Energy audit, insulation, air sealing, weatherization, and some inefficient equipment replacement |
| NHSaves Home Energy Performance | Rebate or incentive. Homeowner still pays the remaining share. | Homeowners who do not fit the income-based path | Audit, insulation, air sealing, and weatherization work |
| New Hampshire Housing Lead & Healthy Homes | Federal grant plus possible state loan. The page also says a 10% owner match is required. | Pre-1978 homes that meet income rules; owner-occupied single-family homes need a child under 6 or a pregnant resident | Lead hazard control and some other health or safety work |
| USDA Section 504 repair help | 1% loan, grant, or loan-grant combination. A loan means repayment. Grants must be repaid if the home is sold within 3 years. | Very-low-income owner-occupants in eligible rural areas; grant portion is for owners age 62 and older who cannot repay a loan | Repair, improve, or modernize the home and remove health or safety hazards |
| Local CDBG rehab programs | Usually a 0% loan, deferred loan, local rehab loan, or another city-run financing structure. Often not free money. | Low- to moderate-income owners in cities or towns with an active rehab program | Code repairs, roofs, electrical, plumbing, accessibility work, and other health or safety fixes |
| New Hampshire Housing Emergency Home Repair Loan | Repair loan and second mortgage | Current New Hampshire Housing mortgage borrowers who are current and face an emergency repair not covered by insurance | Examples listed by NH Housing include furnace, well or septic, and roof repairs |
Do this in parallel: in New Hampshire, delays are common. Make one general routing call and one specialty call on the same day. For example: CAP plus USDA, or 211 plus Nashua Urban Programs, or CAP plus the Lead & Healthy Homes intake office.
If the house is unsafe now
If there is a fire risk, gas leak, active electrical sparking, structural collapse risk, or a medical emergency, call 911 or the utility first.
- Call 211 NH if you may need shelter, temporary housing, or fast local routing.
- Call your city or town welfare office if you need emergency help with shelter, heat, food, or another basic need while you work on the repair.
- Open an insurance claim the same day if storm, fire, water, or another covered loss may be involved.
- Take photos, keep repair invoices, and ask any contractor to put the problem in writing.
Phone script for 211 NH: “I own and live in a home in [town]. The house is unsafe because of [problem]. I need the fastest New Hampshire contacts for shelter, local welfare, and repair help.”
Phone script for your welfare office: “I own the home and the [heat/water/power] is out. I need to know what emergency help is available while I apply for repair programs.”
Important: local welfare is not the same thing as a home repair grant. In New Hampshire, municipal welfare assistance can result in a lien on real estate, so ask about that before you rely on it.
Where New Hampshire homeowners usually start
New Hampshire is highly local. County government is usually not where repair money sits. The real delivery system is the five Community Action agencies, utility programs, city rehab offices, USDA for rural homes, and a few targeted state programs.
If you do not know who covers your town, use the Community Action lookup tool or call 211 NH. Community Action services vary by region, but they are a real first stop for weatherization, fuel and electric assistance, and local referrals.
Belknap and Merrimack Counties
Start with Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties.
Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties
Start with Southern New Hampshire Services.
Cheshire and Sullivan Counties
Start with Southwestern Community Services.
Carroll, Coos, and Grafton Counties
Start with Tri-County Community Action Program.
Strafford County
Start with Community Action Partnership of Strafford County.
Phone script for Community Action: “I own and live in my home in [town]. The problem is [brief problem]. Which of your programs, if any, can help with weatherization, utility relief, or referral to repair funding?”
The repairs most likely to get real help
These are the repair types most likely to match an actual New Hampshire path:
- Heating failure, insulation problems, drafts, and very high energy bills
- Electrical, plumbing, or other code and safety work
- Accessibility work such as ramps, grab bars, and safer entry or bath use
- Lead hazard control in pre-1978 homes
- Rural roof, furnace, well, and septic failures
What is less likely to move first: cosmetic remodeling, kitchen upgrades, room additions, and other work that is not tied to health, safety, accessibility, lead, energy burden, or code issues.
Set expectations early: New Hampshire’s weatherization system is useful, but the state’s own weatherization manual says it is not a general home rehabilitation program. A bad roof or major structural issue can block or delay weatherization.
New Hampshire paths that are actually worth checking
Start with the energy side if the house is cold, expensive, or leaking heat
For many homeowners, the clearest statewide entry point is the energy side. The NHSaves income-eligible Home Energy Assistance program says it covers 100% of the cost to weatherize qualifying homes and replace inefficient equipment. You are told to start with the Community Action agency for your county region, not with a random contractor.
If you do not fit the income-based path, the market-rate NHSaves Home Energy Performance program is still it currently offers up to $6,000 in rebates on overall improvement costs. That is not a repair grant, but it can cut the price of air sealing and insulation enough to keep a bigger problem from getting worse.
Lead and healthy-homes work is a real New Hampshire route
Because so much of New Hampshire’s housing is older, the Lead & Healthy Homes program at New Hampshire Housing matters more than many owners expect. The statewide page says the program covers the whole state except Manchester, Nashua, and Sullivan County, which have their own HUD lead grant intake.
For owner-occupied single-family homes, the federal grant path requires a pre-1978 home, income qualification, and a child under age 6 or a pregnant resident. The same page says grant help of up to $17,000 per unit may be available, with about $3,000 more for healthy homes hazards, and that a 10% owner match is required. It also says owner-occupied single-family homeowners may have a state loan option up to $100,000, but the owner must apply for the federal grant path first.
USDA is the main rural repair-money route
Outside the larger cities, USDA Section 504 repair help is often the biggest real repair-money path. USDA says the program can offer up to $40,000 in loans and up to $10,000 in grants, with loan-and-grant combinations up to $50,000. Loans are fixed at 1% for 20 years.
The grant piece is for homeowners age 62 and older who cannot repay a loan. USDA also says grants must be repaid if the property is sold within 3 years. Your home must be owner-occupied, your household must meet very-low-income rules, and the address must be in a USDA-eligible rural area. Use the map. Do not guess from the mailing city.
The current Vermont/New Hampshire application packet says processing may take 30 to 60 days and warns that federal funding can be limited or lapse. It also asks for repair bids as part of the application. That means this path works better when you already have a written scope and contractor estimate.
Current April 15, 2026 note: USDA’s Rural Disaster Home Repair Grant page says applications are accepted until April 30, 2026. If your eligible rural home was damaged in a presidentially declared disaster since 2022, ask right away.
Phone script for USDA: “I own and live in a home in [town]. I think the address may be rural-eligible. Can you tell me if Section 504 repair help could fit, and what documents you want first?”
You can reach USDA’s Vermont/New Hampshire housing line at (603) 223-6035.
A narrow but real loan exists for some New Hampshire Housing borrowers
If you already have a mortgage through New Hampshire Housing, read the Emergency Home Repair Loan fact sheet. It is a second mortgage with a maximum loan amount of $25,000 and a 15-year term. The fact sheet says it is for current New Hampshire Housing borrowers whose emergency repair is not covered by homeowners insurance and affects the livability of the home. The examples listed include a furnace, well or septic, and a roof.
If aging, disability, or caregiving is part of the problem, add ServiceLink
ServiceLink and NHCarePath are real New Hampshire routing points for older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers. State documents describe ServiceLink as New Hampshire’s aging and disability resource center, with at least one location in each county. It is not a general repair grant office. But it can help with options counseling, caregiver support, and connections to home modification or support programs that a normal housing search may miss.
The statewide ServiceLink number is 866-634-9412.
City and town routes that can matter more than the state
Sometimes the best answer is not statewide at all. New Hampshire city rehab offices can beat a generic state search if you live in the right place.
Nashua has one of the clearest published owner-rehab paths
Nashua’s Housing Improvement Program says owner-occupied properties can get 0% interest loans to correct code, safety, health, or accessibility issues. The page gives examples like roofs, electrical, plumbing, and wheelchair ramps. It also says the owner must live in the property, meet low-to-moderate income rules, and the property cannot be more than four units. Mobile homes are generally not eligible.
Portsmouth should not be ignored
Portsmouth’s FY2025 Annual Action Plan lists a Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program for single-family homes and multifamily units that house low- to moderate-income households. The same plan shows that local terms are tied to annual planning and funding. That means the right move is to ask whether the loan program is open now, what the current terms are, and whether a homeowner application is being taken this year.
Dover is a “check the current plan year” city
Dover’s Community Development page shows that Dover is a HUD entitlement community and publishes annual CDBG action plans and application materials. That does not guarantee an open homeowner repair program every time you call. It does mean Dover homeowners should ask the Planning and Community Development Department what owner rehab or partner-funded housing work is open in the current plan year.
Smaller towns usually work through CDFA, not a direct homeowner portal
For most of the state outside the entitlement cities, the key agency is the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority. CDFA administers New Hampshire’s state CDBG money for eligible municipalities. Homeowners usually do not apply to CDFA directly. A city, town, county, or nonprofit partner has to sponsor or run the project.
This is also where people get surprised by the fine print. CDFA’s CDBG guide says a 10-year lien is placed on residential buildings rehabilitated with CDBG funds. So if a town or city says it has “repair help,” do not stop at that sentence. Ask whether it is a grant, a deferred loan, a 0% loan, or another structure with a lien.
Phone script for a city or town office: “I own and live in a home in [city or town]. Is there an owner-occupied rehab program open now? If yes, is it a grant, a deferred loan, or a 0% loan, and what papers do you want first?”
Bring these papers before you call
New Hampshire programs move faster when you can answer the first questions right away.
- Photo ID
- Proof you own and live in the home
- Recent mortgage statement and property tax bill
- Proof of income for everyone in the household
- Recent utility bills
- Photos of the damage
- Any inspection report, service report, or contractor estimate
- Insurance claim number or denial, if insurance may apply
- For lead or healthy-homes work, proof the home was built before 1978 if available, plus who lives there
- For accessibility work, any note that explains the safety or mobility need
If you can only do one extra thing: get one written estimate. USDA asks for bids. Local rehab offices and lead programs also move more cleanly when the problem is in writing.
What tends to slow things down in New Hampshire
- You are chasing a closed or outdated program page.
- You do not yet have a repair estimate, service report, or photos.
- Insurance should pay first, but the claim is not opened or not resolved.
- The address does not pass USDA’s rural test, or the household does not meet the income rules.
- The house needs structural or environmental work before weatherization can begin.
- A city or town only opens rehab money in certain funding years or rounds.
- The title is messy, the taxes are behind, or the home is a manufactured home with land or foundation issues.
- The lead program is prioritizing homes with a poisoned child or a higher-risk case.
One New Hampshire reality to expect: “home repair help” often means a loan, a deferred loan, a second mortgage, a state loan with an owner match, or a direct repair service. It often does not mean a pure grant with no strings.
If the first answer is no
- Ask why. Was it income, address, program closure, repair type, or missing paperwork?
- Switch lanes. If CAP says the issue is too structural for weatherization, try USDA or a local rehab office. If USDA says the address is not rural, try city or town rehab routes or NHSaves market-rate rebates.
- Ask to be notified. Local CDBG and city programs can reopen by plan year or funding round.
- Add a navigator. Call 211 NH or ServiceLink if the owner is older, disabled, caregiving, or getting lost in the process.
- If repair costs are pushing you toward losing the home, do not wait. Use New Hampshire Housing’s homeowner resources to connect with free housing counseling. New Hampshire uses a fast power-of-sale foreclosure process, so waiting can cost you options.
Best next move after a denial: keep a short note with the agency name, date, the reason for the no, and the next referral they gave you. In New Hampshire, the right referral often matters as much as the first application.
Ask these questions before you sign anything
- Is this a grant, a deferred loan, a second mortgage, or a regular loan?
- Will there be a lien or mortgage recorded against the home?
- Do I have to bring matching funds?
- Who chooses the contractor, and who approves change orders?
- Will I need to leave the home during the work?
- What happens if insurance later pays for part of this?
- Can you send the terms in writing before I sign?
Big red flags: upfront “grant unlocking” fees, pressure to sign over the deed, or anyone promising guaranteed USDA approval. USDA has posted a fraud warning tied to Section 504 contacts. If someone pressures you around title, foreclosure, or a rescue deal, use a free housing counselor or contact 603 Legal Aid before signing.
Common questions
Is there a real statewide home repair grant for any New Hampshire homeowner?
No single broad statewide grant showed up as the main answer. New Hampshire’s real help is split between Community Action weatherization, USDA rural repair loans and grants, lead hazard funding, city rehab loans, and a few targeted programs.
What should I try first in New Hampshire?
If the house is unsafe, call 211 NH first and deal with emergency safety. If it is not an immediate emergency, start with your local Community Action agency. If the address may be rural, call USDA the same day. If the house is pre-1978 and a young child or pregnant person lives there, add the lead program right away.
Can I get help with a roof or furnace?
Sometimes, yes. Roofs and furnaces fit better with USDA rural repair, local city rehab programs like Nashua’s published 0% loan program, or the New Hampshire Housing emergency repair loan for current NH Housing borrowers. Weatherization alone may not pay for a full roof.
I live in a small town. Who is my local route?
Use the Community Action lookup for your town, call 211 NH if you are unsure, and ask your town hall or planning office whether the town sponsors home rehab through CDFA or another partner. If the address is rural-eligible, add USDA. If age or disability is part of the picture, add ServiceLink.
Do I have to repay the help?
Sometimes. Many New Hampshire repair paths are loans, deferred loans, second mortgages, state loans, or programs with an owner match. City and town welfare help can also affect your property through a lien. Always ask before you sign.
Is HomeHelpNH still a repair option?
No. The New Hampshire Homeowner Assistance Fund closed on March 8, 2024. If you are seeing old pages about that program, move on to the current repair routes in this guide.
Resumen breve en español
Sí hay ayuda real para reparaciones de vivienda en New Hampshire, pero casi nunca viene de una sola subvención estatal. La mayoría de los propietarios deben empezar con su agencia local de Community Action o marcar 211 NH, y luego añadir la ruta que corresponde al problema: NHSaves para climatización y ahorro de energía, USDA para viviendas rurales elegibles, New Hampshire Housing para riesgos de plomo, y programas locales de rehabilitación en ciudades como Nashua.
Si la casa no es segura ahora, pida ayuda de emergencia primero. Junte identificación, prueba de que usted es dueño y vive en la casa, ingresos del hogar, facturas de servicios públicos, fotos del daño, y un estimado del contratista. Siempre pregunte si la ayuda es una subvención, un préstamo, un préstamo diferido, o un servicio directo, y si habrá gravamen o pago futuro.
About this guide
This guide is for owner-occupied homes in New Hampshire. It was checked against official New Hampshire agency, city, utility, and federal program pages on April 15, 2026. It focuses on what a tired homeowner, caregiver, adult child, or helper can actually try next in New Hampshire.
This is general information, not legal, tax, engineering, or contractor advice. Program rules, income limits, rural eligibility, local openings, repair scopes, loan terms, owner matches, and lien rules can change. Before you spend money or sign papers, ask the agency or city to confirm the current terms in writing.
