Last updated: July 27, 2026
Immediate danger: If you smell gas, see smoke or exposed live wires, have sewage entering living space, or believe part of the home may collapse, move people away from the danger and call 911, the utility, or an emergency professional. Repair programs do not replace emergency response.
Bottom line: Delaware has real home repair help, but most programs do not hand cash to homeowners. Help usually comes as contractor-managed repairs, a grant, a zero-interest or deferred loan, weatherization service, a rebate, or nonprofit repair work. For an active roof leak, failed heat, unsafe wiring, broken plumbing, or an urgent accessibility problem, start with the Statewide Emergency Repair Program at 302-491-4010 or 844-413-0038. Call your county or city repair office at the same time.
Delaware repair help is address-based. Wilmington, Dover, county areas, and rural communities may use different programs. This guide explains where to apply, what each option covers, and whether it is a grant, loan, service, rebate, or referral.
Contents
| Repair need | Best first path | Type of help | Main reality check |
|---|---|---|---|
| No heat, active roof leak, unsafe electrical, failed plumbing | Statewide Emergency Repair Program and local housing office | Contractor-managed repair grant/service | Only urgent health and safety work fits; approval must come before work |
| Drafts, high energy bills, poor insulation | DNREC Weatherization | Free energy service | It is not a general remodeling or window-replacement program |
| Ramp, grab bars, safer bathroom, wider doorway | DSAAPD Home Modification or county accessibility help | Grant or direct modification service | Medical need, limited funding, and other available payers may be reviewed |
| Rural home with major repair needs | USDA Section 504 | 1% loan; limited grant for eligible owners age 62+ | Very-low-income and rural-address rules apply |
| Heating unit is broken or inefficient | RRHACE Heater Program | Free heater assessment, repair, or replacement service | Income, occupancy, tax, and document rules apply |
| Not sure which office serves the address | Delaware 211 | Free referral | 211 does not fund or approve repairs |
Choose your first call by the repair and address
- Name the safety problem. Use clear facts such as “active roof leak,” “no heat,” “sparking outlet,” or “wheelchair cannot enter.”
- Confirm the jurisdiction. Ask whether the home is inside Wilmington, Newark, Dover, another town, or a county area.
- Call two valid paths. For urgent work, call SERP and the correct local office.
- Wait for approval. Programs often inspect first and may reject work started early.
- Ask what you are signing. Confirm any grant, loan, lien, repayment trigger, or owner-occupancy period.
Statewide emergency repair script: “I own and live in a Delaware home. The urgent problem is ______. It affects the room where we live because ______. Has the Statewide Emergency Repair Program got funding for this repair, and what do you need to screen me?”
Local office script: “I need owner-occupied repair help at ______. Is this address inside your service area? Is the current help a grant, loan, deferred loan, or contractor-managed repair? Is intake open, or can I join a waitlist?”
Statewide Delaware programs
Statewide Emergency Repair Program
The Delaware State Housing Authority funds SERP, and Milford Housing Development Corporation manages intake, inspection, contractors, and final review. Type of help: a grant-funded repair service, not cash paid to the homeowner. The DSHA program summary confirms the program, but every case depends on eligibility, scope, contractors, and funding.
Who may qualify: You must own and occupy the home, have lived there for at least one year, meet the income rule, and have an immediate health or safety threat. MHDC currently lists an income screen at or below 80% of area median income.
Repairs most likely to fit: No heat from October through March, minor plumbing or electrical hazards, an active roof leak over living space, roofing-related structural work, and urgent accessibility changes with medical support. Air conditioning may be considered with medical documentation. Cosmetic work, remodeling, routine maintenance, and ordinary floor, door, or window replacement usually do not fit.
How to apply: Call MHDC at 302-491-4010 or toll-free 844-413-0038. The older number found on some pages is MHDC’s main office; use the current repair screening number first.
Timing warning: DSHA describes target scheduling steps after approval, but a target is not a promise. Missing documents, title problems, inspections, contractor availability, weather, permits, and funding can slow a case. Ask for the current status of your file instead of relying on a published target.
RRHACE heater help and DNREC weatherization
MHDC also advertises the Replacing, Repairing Heaters and Conserving Energy program, known as RRHACE. It helps eligible low-income Delaware homeowners with a nonworking or inefficient heating unit.
Type of help: Free direct service that may include an equipment assessment, repair, or replacement. It is not a general home repair grant.
Who may qualify: The homeowner must own and occupy the home for at least one year, be current on county and city property taxes when applicable, meet the 200% federal poverty income screen, and provide the requested documents. Call MHDC’s main office at 302-422-8255 and ask for RRHACE.
For insulation, air sealing, broken glass, duct work, and other energy-saving measures, use the DNREC Weatherization Program. The statewide intake provider is the Energy Coordinating Agency at 302-504-6111.
Type of help: Free weatherization service for qualifying homeowners and renters. Renters generally need landlord cooperation, and the energy savings must benefit the renter.
Income and waitlist: DNREC uses household size and income, currently at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Applicants are ranked by need and funding. People not served within 12 months must reapply. Weatherization is not whole-house repair; major roof, foundation, or plumbing defects may need another program first. See our weatherization guide.
Accessibility and utility-bill help
The Delaware Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities offers Home Modification Support. It may cover essential changes such as a wheelchair ramp, handrails, grab bars, widened doors, or changes that make a bathroom or kitchen safer.
Type of help: A funded modification service, not a remodeling allowance. Applicants must be age 18 or older, live in Delaware, have a permanent or long-term physical disability, and live in a permanent home needing the modification. Funding is limited and is generally used when another payer is unavailable or does not cover the full need.
Call the Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center at 1-800-223-9074. A caregiver or adult child can call, but staff may need the homeowner’s permission before discussing a case.
If the repair problem comes with a shutoff notice, empty fuel tank, or unaffordable energy bill, the Delaware Energy Assistance Program may help with energy costs and crisis assistance. This is a utility benefit, not a roof or plumbing grant. Current county intake numbers are 302-654-9295 for New Castle, 302-674-1782 for Kent, and 302-856-6310 for Sussex.
USDA Section 504 for eligible rural homes
The USDA Section 504 program is a strong option for very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas. Applications are accepted year-round, subject to funding.
Type of help: A loan, a grant, or a combination. The loan can be used to repair, improve, or modernize the home or remove hazards. The grant is only for eligible homeowners age 62 or older who cannot repay a loan, and it must remove health and safety hazards.
- Maximum loan: $40,000 at 1% fixed interest for up to 20 years.
- Maximum regular grant: $10,000 lifetime limit.
- Maximum regular combination: $50,000.
- Repayment warning: A grant must be repaid if the property is sold within three years.
You must own and occupy the home, meet the very-low-income limit for the county, be unable to obtain affordable credit elsewhere, and pass the rural-address test. Read our current USDA Section 504 guide, then call the Delaware-Maryland Single Family Housing Direct office at 302-857-3595. The state office is at 1221 College Park Drive, Suite 200, Dover.
Practical limit: USDA is not same-day help. It reviews income, credit availability, title, repair scope, rural eligibility, and funding.
County and city home repair programs
New Castle County outside Wilmington and Newark
New Castle County repair programs serve eligible homes outside Wilmington and Newark. Funding is limited, work must remove health or safety hazards, and county-approved contractors perform the repairs.
| Program | Type and amount | Important terms |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Home Repair | 0% mortgage loan from $500 to $20,000 | At or below 80% AMI; at least six months owner-occupancy; lien, underwriting, equity, taxes, insurance, and asset rules. Loans are deferred for homeowners below 50% AMI. |
| Senior Home Repair | First $5,000 is a grant; optional 0% deferred loan up to $7,500; total up to $12,500 | At least one homeowner age 62+; waitlist; reverse-mortgage owners cannot use the loan portion. Deferred balance becomes due after sale, rental, refinance, transfer, or loss of owner-occupancy. |
| Architectural Accessibility | Grant from $500 to $5,000 | Written medical need; may cover ramps, grab bars, widened doors, hard-surface access, stair lifts, or bathroom changes. |
The brochures also require an insurable home suitable for repair and list a $337,250 after-repair value cap. Manufactured homes must be on a permanent foundation on owner-owned land, and flood-zone homes are listed as ineligible. Confirm current rules during screening.
Call Community Development at 302-395-5600. The county lists direct program contacts at 302-395-5639 and 302-395-5540.
Wilmington and Newark
Wilmington uses limited rounds and lotteries, not a continuously open grant. The December 2025 lottery offered up to $10,000 for one critical repair and is closed. The city page lists a 2026 repair summary, but that does not mean intake is open. Check the Wilmington housing page and call 311 or 302-576-2620 for the next round.
For Newark, call the city at 302-366-7030 and ask whether the Home Improvement Program has an open round. Do not submit a New Castle County repair application until staff confirm which jurisdiction serves the property.
Kent County outside Dover, and Dover
Kent County Community Development provides grants for repairs to eligible owner-occupied houses and manufactured homes. Homeowners complete a referral form to join the waiting list.
Service area: The county’s Community Development Block Grant and HOME programs cover unincorporated Kent County and 19 municipalities, but exclude Dover. The USDA Housing Preservation Grant area covers parts of Kent County outside the Dover metropolitan area.
Type of help: The county calls it grant assistance. Its public page does not post a current per-home cap, exact repair list, or any recorded agreement that may apply. Ask for the current written terms before accepting help. Call 302-744-2480.
Dover homeowners have a separate route. MHDC currently administers the city’s Emergency Home Repair and Housing Rehabilitation grants. The homeowner must live inside Dover, own only one property, have occupied it for at least three years, meet the 80% AMI rule, and be current on city and county taxes and sewer fees. A payment plan may be accepted after at least six consecutive on-time payments.
Dover work may include electrical and plumbing repairs, roof repair or replacement, unsafe floors with holes or very soft areas, broken window glass, some doors, drywall, and insulation. Call MHDC at 302-422-8255 and ask how to reserve a place at the required orientation. This is a city grant program, but eligibility, scope, and available funds still control each award.
Sussex County
Sussex County Community Development provides rehabilitation help for low- and moderate-income owner-occupants. Its program page has been difficult to access consistently, so do not rely on an old downloaded application or lien chart.
How to start: Call 302-855-7777 or the Community Development office at 302-854-5281. Ask whether county repair intake is open, whether there is a waitlist, which towns are served, and whether the current award is a grant, forgivable loan, deferred loan, or pro-rated lien.
Ask staff to confirm the current repair list, award amount, owner-occupancy period, tax and insurance rules, and any repayment trigger.
2026 income limits: use these only as a first screen
Many Delaware repair programs use 80% of area median income, or AMI. The dollar amount changes by county and household size. Programs may count income differently, deduct certain items, use an older funding-year chart, or apply a lower limit. Do not rule yourself out based on this table alone.
| Household size | New Castle 80% AMI | Kent 80% AMI | Sussex 80% AMI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $68,750 | $60,350 | $57,800 |
| 2 | $78,550 | $69,000 | $66,050 |
| 3 | $88,350 | $77,600 | $74,300 |
| 4 | $98,150 | $86,200 | $82,550 |
| 5 | $106,050 | $93,100 | $89,200 |
| 6 | $113,900 | $100,000 | $95,800 |
| 7 | $121,750 | $106,900 | $102,400 |
| 8 | $129,600 | $113,800 | $109,000 |
The New Castle figures come from the county’s June 2026 income chart. Kent and Sussex figures are shown on current county Habitat pages. New Castle’s repair page still displays a June 2025 chart, so the repair office must tell you which chart governs a new application.
Ask this income question: “Which people count in my household, which income months do you use, and do you count gross Social Security, pension, wages, disability, child support, or assets?” The answer can differ by program.
Nonprofit, lead, and other specialized repair help
Habitat is not an emergency contractor, and funding changes by grant cycle. It can still be a strong backup when government help is closed or too narrow.
- New Castle County Habitat: The Critical Repairs Program lists roofs, heating and cooling, windows and doors, electrical work, masonry, railings, accessibility, and safety repairs. Submit the interest form or email repairs@habitatncc.org. Main phone: 302-652-0365. Ask whether your zip code and repair type are in the current funded area.
- Central Delaware Habitat: Its Kent repair program says qualified work is provided at no cost and must be a critical health or safety need. The online screening asks about homeownership, one year of occupancy, income, insurance, bankruptcy, age, and repair type. This is not an emergency service.
- Sussex County Habitat: The Healthy Homes Program is currently accepting repair applications. Work may include floors, decks, ramps, painting, electrical, and plumbing, with each case decided by health and safety need and available funding. Call 302-855-1153 extension 208.
For a New Castle County home built before 1978 with peeling paint and a child age six or younger or a pregnant resident, ask about the county’s lead and healthy homes services at 302-395-5312. Lead programs may pay for testing and hazard control, but they are not general renovation funds.
Veterans with disability-related accessibility needs should also check current VA housing modification benefits and local nonprofit repair programs. Our veteran repair guide explains the questions to ask without treating every veteran benefit as a general repair grant.
Documents to gather and what happens next
Call even if every document is not ready. Most offices later ask for:
- Photo identification for each owner.
- Recorded deed, manufactured-home title, life-estate paper, probate document, or other accepted proof of ownership.
- Proof the home is the primary residence, such as a utility bill or government mail.
- Income proof for every person the program counts, including pay stubs, Social Security or pension letters, tax returns, and benefit statements.
- Mortgage statement, property-tax status, sewer account status, and homeowner insurance declarations page.
- Photos of the damage, shutoff notice, code notice, or medical note when safety or accessibility is involved.
- A list of everyone living in the home and their relationship to the owner.
- For manufactured homes, the land deed or lot lease and proof of who owns the home and the land.
Use our repair document checklist to organize the file. Do not pay a contractor for a full estimate until the program tells you whether outside estimates are accepted.
After a complete application, expect income, ownership, title, tax, and insurance checks; an inspection; a written scope; contractor review; permits; construction; and final inspection. Unapproved extra work is not covered.
Document problem script: “I am missing ______. Is that a hard stop, or can you accept another ownership or income document? Please tell me the exact name of the document and the deadline to provide it.”
Waitlists, denials, liens, and unsafe offers
Applications often stall because of the wrong jurisdiction, missing income, unpaid taxes, lapsed insurance, unclear title, ineligible work, early construction, or costs above the program cap.
If you are denied or delayed:
- Ask for the reason in writing and whether the file is denied, incomplete, waitlisted, or closed because funding ended.
- Ask whether you may correct the issue, appeal, or reapply in the next funding round.
- Match the reason to another path. A non-urgent roof may fit county rehab or Habitat even when SERP says no. An accessibility case may fit DSAAPD. A rural case may fit USDA.
- Call Delaware 211 by dialing 211 or 1-800-560-3372. Ask specifically for “owner-occupied critical home repair” and give your zip code.
- Keep a simple log with the date, office, staff name, documents sent, and next action.
A deferred or forgivable loan can be useful, but it is not the same as a grant. Read the agreement and ask when repayment becomes due. Common triggers include sale, refinance, rental, transfer, death, or moving out. Our guide to repair liens and recapture explains these terms.
Scam and financing warning: Do not pay anyone to “put you on a grant list.” Do not sign a blank contract, deed, power of attorney, loan form, or insurance assignment. Confirm every approval through the phone number published by the agency. If a contractor pressures you to finance work before the program inspects the home, stop and call the program office. Read our safer repair financing guide before accepting high-cost credit.
Simple Delaware action plan
- Today: Call SERP for urgent safety work and the correct county or city office for the address.
- Next: Photograph the damage and gather ownership, income, tax, mortgage, and insurance papers.
- Backup: Call weatherization, DSAAPD, USDA, or the county Habitat affiliate based on the repair type.
- Before signing: Get the repair scope and every grant, loan, lien, owner-occupancy, and repayment term in writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a statewide home repair grant in Delaware?
Delaware has a statewide emergency repair program, but it does not pay for every repair. SERP is for urgent health and safety problems and normally manages the contractor and work instead of giving cash to the homeowner.
What should I do first for an actively leaking roof?
Call SERP at 302-491-4010 or 844-413-0038 and the correct county or city repair office. Say where the leak enters, which living space is affected, and whether there is ceiling collapse, electrical danger, or mold. Do not begin program-funded work before approval.
Do Delaware home repair programs have to be repaid?
Some do and some do not. Weatherization and many direct repair grants are not repaid. New Castle County has a 0% emergency loan and an optional deferred loan in its senior program. USDA has a 1% loan, and its grant may be repayable if the home is sold within three years. Always read the written terms.
Can a manufactured home owner get repair help?
Possibly. Kent County expressly includes manufactured homes. New Castle County may allow a manufactured home only when it is on a permanent foundation on land owned by the homeowner. Other programs have their own land, title, foundation, and lot-lease rules, so explain the ownership setup on the first call.
Can renters use Delaware repair programs?
Most repair grants in this guide are for owner-occupants. Renters may qualify for DNREC weatherization with landlord cooperation. A renter with dangerous conditions should notify the landlord in writing and contact local code enforcement or legal help when needed.
What if my income is slightly above 80% AMI?
Still call. Some programs use a different limit, a different income definition, or a special funding source. Energize Delaware rebates or loans may also help with energy work, but those are not free repair grants. Ask the office to calculate eligibility instead of guessing.
About This Guide
How we researched this page: We checked official federal, state, local, tribal, utility, and trusted nonprofit sources linked in this article. We reviewed program names, service areas, eligibility rules, application routes, contact details, and whether each option is a grant, loan, rebate, service, or referral.
Our role: HomeRepairGrants.org is an independent information website. We do not run these programs, accept applications, choose recipients, or guarantee funding or approval.
Local changes: Funding, waitlists, service areas, income limits, and application periods can change. Confirm current details with the organization that runs the program before you apply, sign papers, pay money, or start repair work.
Corrections: See something outdated or incorrect? Email info@homerepairgrants.org and include the page URL and a reliable source when possible.
Disclaimer: This guide provides general information. It is not legal, financial, tax, insurance, medical, disability-rights, contractor, or government-agency advice.
Last verified: July 27, 2026 | Next review: October 27, 2026