Cleveland and Cuyahoga County Home Repair Programs: Which Agency Serves Your Address?

Last updated: October 13, 2026

Bottom line: Your mail may say Cleveland. You may still live outside the city. The city, county, and suburbs have their own repair funds. First, check which city has your home.

Then call that city office. Call a county partner too, if staff say you can apply.

Important status: Cleveland has paused its universal home repair intake. A separate county repair loan run through CHN Housing Partners is also closed to new applications. Other groups also list repair help. That does not mean they have funds now.

This guide shows where to go for roof, heat, porch, pipe, wire, or entry repairs. It shows when help is a grant, loan, repair service, or rebate. For help in the rest of the state, use our Ohio home repair guide.

First, find the city for your home

Use the county’s official property search to look up your parcel and city. Your ZIP code and mail may say Cleveland. That may not be the city that serves your house. Not sure about the record?

Call the city housing office. Give them your full street address.

This matters most in suburbs with their own housing funds. One county fund may not serve your city. Yet a county-backed group may have other funds for some homes there. Do not assume that living in Cuyahoga County makes you eligible for every county project.

Live in Euclid, East Cleveland, Shaker Heights, or Maple Heights? Call your city first. Ask which funds serve your parcel.

Countywide does not always mean every city can use the same application. Our local repair program finder gives a broader search method.

Which local repair program should you call?

Inside Cleveland: city repair programs and 311

The Cleveland Home Repair office says its universal intake is temporarily paused while it works through existing applications. If you already applied, the city says your file is still being processed. If you need help, dial 311 to ask about partner help. You can also call 216-664-2900 for help.

The city’s Repair-A-Home program is a loan for eligible owners of one- or two-family homes. Terms range from a loan with no payments now to rates of 0% to 3%. Up to half may be forgiven after five years in the home, under its rules.

You must own and live in the home for one year. Your income must fit the city rules. Do not use the old income chart on that page as a 2026 test.

The city also has a repair plan for older owners and those with a disability. This is called the Senior Homeowner Assistance Program. This is a repair grant path for one key health or safety job, like a roof or porch. It may also cover major wires, pipes, or safe entry.

The Department of Aging number is 216-664-2833. Ask if this program takes new cases during the city pause. The site does not say for sure.

Read the city’s home repair resource guide for other partners. A city notice about planned repair spending is not the same as an open household application. Never pay a contractor based on an expected city award.

County partner: Community Housing Solutions

Cuyahoga County lists Community Housing Solutions, or CHS, as the administrator of a homeowner repair route. The county describes its help as a deferred, subordinate loan for health and safety repairs. This may put off payment. But you still owe the loan.

Ask for a sample agreement before accepting an award.

The CHS repair program lists roofs, porches, heating, plumbing, wiring, locks, gutters, and access changes. You must own and live in the home. You must meet income rules and have lived there for one year. The home cannot be in foreclosure.

Property taxes must be paid or under an approved plan.

Call CHS home repair at 216-651-0077. Give the street address and repair first. CHS says help depends on location, eligibility, and funding.

The site has a blank income field. Do not use it as a real limit. Ask staff for this year’s income limit.

Ask if they take new files. Then ask if your city is served.

Different county loan: CHN Housing Partners

Do not mix up CHS and CHN. They are different organizations. The CHN county loan program states that new applications are closed due to high demand.

Its listed loan cap is $20,000. It is for some single-family owners who earn no more than 120% of local median income. This is a loan, not a grant.

CHN says past applicants should wait for file review. Check its site for news on when forms will open. Did not apply in time?

Do not send private files through an old form. Ask whether CHS, your city, or another partner has a separate active fund.

Lakewood: several plans with different costs

Lakewood’s housing assistance page lists an application portal for qualified homeowners. It does not say how much money is left in each fund. Call the Division of Community Development at 216-529-4663 before applying. Ask which program is accepting new cases today.

Its Repair Accessibility and Maintenance program lists a grant of up to $10,000 for approved work. A separate home improvement rebate may cover 50% of approved costs, up to $10,000. Sewer connection repairs have a listed rebate limit of $5,000 and require a dye test. A rebate may mean you must pay first, then seek some money back.

Lakewood also lists a rehabilitation loan of up to $25,000 at 3%, secured by a property lien. A 0% deferred option is listed for owners age 65 or older or permanently disabled. That balance comes due when the property is no longer owner-occupied. Lakewood also lists single-item emergency loans and a home weatherization grant path.

These programs have income, home use, and work rules. Ask city staff to check the cap, funds, and if you can use more than one award. Not all Lakewood funds pay for the same roof or heat job.

Parma: a separate home improvement grant

Parma has a grant plan for some owners with low or modest income. It is for a one-family home where the owner lives. See the city’s resident services page.

It names roof, plumbing, electrical, and furnace repairs. The city says applications became available April 1, 2026.

That start date does not prove the fund is still taking applications in October. The page does not give a verified grant cap or a current closing date. Ask Parma staff if intake is open today. Check the grant cap, income limit, form, and rules for who does the job.

Cleveland Heights: city money is out, but ask about other help

The Cleveland Heights housing office says two city funds have run out. They are its Senior Home Repair and Home Repair Housing Grant programs. It expects new money around February 2027, but this is a forecast, not a promise. Call 216-291-4869 for updates rather than submitting an old grant form.

The city lists up to $5,000 for some outside repairs. It also has a grant plan for older or disabled owners. Both are subject to available funds. It also points residents to the separate Home Repair Resource Center, or HRRC, at 216-381-6100.

HRRC describes small grants, a matching deferred loan, and repair help for Cleveland Heights. It also lists plans just for Shaker Heights. These are not one grant for the whole county.

Ask which fund, city, and application cycle the center can serve now. A matching loan may require you to pay part of the job yourself.

Garfield Heights: the 2026 window has ended

Garfield Heights published 2026 exterior grant rules for owner-occupied homes. Selected projects could receive up to $2,500 for visible outside repairs, including roofs, gutters, paint, windows, and doors. The program used county supplemental grant funds and other sources.

The 2026 form was open May 11 to June 24. That deadline has passed. You must pay at least 5% of the cost. You also need two bids, home insurance, and tax proof.

You must keep the home for one year. If you sell too soon, you must repay the grant. Ask the Economic Development Office if another round is planned; do not claim the old round is open.

When the problem is lead paint or energy loss

Lead hazards: Cleveland has its own city lead hazard program for qualifying older homes. The home must be from before 1978. Income rules apply.

A young child must live or visit often, or a pregnant person must live there. Call 216-664-2929 about screening and intake. It is lead hazard control, not a general window replacement grant.

In some suburbs outside Cleveland, the county lead-safe program may help. Call the County Board of Health at 216-201-2000. Families with children age five or younger may qualify under income and address rules. Confirm that your suburb and home fit before counting on a grant.

Weatherization: The county’s suburban weatherization route names CHN Housing Partners for eligible homes outside Cleveland. CHN’s energy services page has a separate application route for energy measures. Call 216-574-7100 and confirm your address. Cleveland residents should also ask CHN which energy service covers their address.

Weatherization is a direct service, not cash for any repair. A home check may lead to wall work, less air loss, heat work, or hot-water repairs. A bad roof or unsafe structure may have to be fixed first. Read our weatherization application guide if the energy route fits your problem.

Where does the repair money come from?

These offices do not all use the same fund. Cleveland’s 2026 repair plans name federal housing funds. Cleveland Heights says federal block grant funds back its city repair grants. CHS says it gets city, county, state, and donor money.

Garfield Heights lists county grant funds. Funds can run out, even when a program page remains online. An approved budget does not mean new forms are being taken.

What about county discounts and regular home improvement credit?

The county also lists HELP, a home loan plan. It lists the Heritage Home Program for older houses. Its current housing page says it is working with partners on added banking and financing options.

Old county pages still show loan terms. That does not prove a bank makes new loans today.

These are financing paths, not free grants. A bank loan requires repayment, credit review, and possibly a lien. A heritage program may provide useful repair advice even when new financing is not confirmed.

Ask for the lender’s current rate, fees, total cost, eligible city, and written payback terms. Our deferred loan and lien guide explains what can make a balance due.

How to apply without wasting time

Not sure which office to call? United Way 211 serves the county day and night. Dial 211.

Ask for owner-occupied home repair, accessibility changes, furnace help, and urgent housing support by full address. This is a referral, not a grant award.

What if the first agency cannot help?

If a fund is closed, ask when to check back. Ask who else may help. If you are denied, ask for the exact written reason.

A city may say no due to income or home title. Taxes, past aid, or the repair can also rule you out. Another fund may use other rules.

If the house is unsafe now, do not wait for a spring grant window. Ask the utility or building department about immediate safety steps. Call 211 if you need a safe place to stay. Our emergency repair help guide shows how to act when a repair cannot wait.

Common questions