Last updated: July 28, 2026 Do not drink water that may contain fuel, pesticides, sewage, or other chemicals. Boiling or adding bleach will not remove chemical contamination. If floodwater covered the well, wildfire damaged well parts, the system lost pressure, or the water smells like fuel or chemicals, use bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Bottom line: A reverse mortgage can pay for major home repairs, but it is a loan secured by your home, not a grant. It may make sense for a homeowner age 62 or older who has substantial equity, plans to remain in the home for years, can keep paying taxes … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Bottom line: A Limited FHA 203(k) loan is usually the better fit for non-structural repairs with total rehabilitation costs of no more than $75,000. A Standard 203(k) is for structural work, additions, major rehabilitation, or projects that cannot meet the Limited rules. Both are mortgage loans, not grants. Start with … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Use emergency help first: A rebate is not same-day repair help. If you smell gas, see smoke or sparks, hear a carbon monoxide alarm, or face dangerous heat or cold, leave the danger area and call 911, the utility emergency number, or a licensed professional. Bottom Line HEAR and HOMES … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 If the home is unsafe: Leave if you smell gas, see fire or live wires, hear shifting walls, find sewage indoors, or receive an evacuation or unsafe-building order. Call 911 or the utility emergency line. FEMA registration is not emergency rescue, shelter placement, or permission to reenter a damaged home. … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Immediate danger: Leave the home and call 911 if there is fire, a gas smell, rising water, exposed wiring, sewage, major structural movement, or an evacuation order. Do not enter a damaged building until local officials say it is safe. Bottom Line: FEMA assistance is usually a grant or direct … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Bottom Line USDA Section 533 is not a grant that an individual homeowner applies for directly. The U.S. Department of Agriculture gives competitive Housing Preservation Grants to eligible local governments, nonprofits, tribes, and similar organizations. Those grantees then use the money to run rural repair programs for households with low … Read more
Last updated: July 27, 2026 Do not wait for an application if the home is unsafe now. Call 911 for fire, collapse, severe electrical danger, or a suspected gas emergency. Leave the home if a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, you smell gas, or the structure may fail. Call the utility for a shutoff, gas leak, … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Bottom Line Increased Cost of Compliance, usually called ICC, is an insurance benefit included with eligible National Flood Insurance Program building coverage. It is not a grant, loan, or income-based repair program. ICC may pay up to $30,000 to elevate, relocate, demolish, or in limited cases floodproof a building after … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Leave first when there may be immediate danger. If you smell gas, hear a carbon monoxide or smoke alarm, see fire or sparking, find floodwater touching electrical equipment, see a ceiling or wall starting to fall, or someone is trapped or seriously ill, move everyone to a safe place and … Read more