Home Repair Grants in Louisiana (2026 Guide)

Best Place to Start in Louisiana

Many programs are assigned by parish. Identify the most urgent repair, then call the office that handles that type of need.

Statewide and Federal Programs Worth Checking

Louisiana weatherization and LIHEAP

The Louisiana Weatherization Assistance Program is a direct service, not cash. Providers may install insulation, seal air or duct leaks, and complete approved energy work. It is for a basically sound home, not a failing roof, major rebuild, or cosmetic project. See our weatherization program guide for the usual audit process.

Waiting-list priority may go to people age 60 or older, families with children, people with a qualifying disability, and households with high energy burden. Help is not guaranteed. The state page still links a 2025 income notice, so ask the parish provider which current limit it uses.

The Louisiana LIHEAP page covers the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. LIHEAP is not a general repair grant. It may pay part of a heating or cooling bill, help in a utility crisis, or sometimes help repair or replace heating or cooling equipment.

Current 2026 status: The statewide online cooling application is closed. Local agencies continue normal intake from April 13 through September 30, 2026, or until funds run out. Crisis applications are handled by the local parish agency, not through the online portal. There is no application fee.

These are Louisiana’s 2026 limits. Other rules apply. The applicant must be responsible for the energy bill and have an active account.

USDA Section 504 for rural homeowners

The USDA Section 504 program is a strong rural repair option. Applications are accepted from October 1 through September 30.

• You must own and occupy the home.
• The address must be in an eligible rural area.
• Household income must be within USDA’s very-low-income limit for the area.
• You must be unable to obtain affordable credit elsewhere.
• For grant help, the homeowner must be age 62 or older.

What it may pay for: Loans may repair, improve, or modernize the home or remove health and safety hazards. Grants are limited to removing health and safety hazards.

Amount and terms: The maximum loan is $40,000. The maximum grant is $10,000, or $15,000 for eligible damage in a presidentially declared disaster area. A loan and grant may be combined up to $50,000, or $55,000 in an eligible presidential disaster area. Loans have a fixed 1% interest rate and a 20-year term. A grant may have to be repaid if the property is sold within three years.

USDA lists Louisiana offices in Monroe at 318-343-4467, Natchitoches at 318-352-7100, Lafayette at 337-262-6601, and Amite at 985-748-8751. Our Section 504 guide explains the process.

Fortify Homes grant and Louisiana roof tax credit

The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program offers grants up to $10,000 to upgrade a roof to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety FORTIFIED Roof standard. It is a state grant, but it is narrow. It does not pay for a small patch or unrelated repairs.

The June 1-19, 2026 lottery offered 3,000 grants. Registration is now closed, and the state says later rounds will be announced. Create or keep a program profile and sign up for notices. Do not hire a contractor or begin work before the program accepts and awards your application.

The home must be a primary residence with a homestead exemption, wind insurance, and flood insurance when required. New construction, condominiums, and mobile homes do not qualify. The owner pays evaluator fees and costs above the grant. Funds go to the contractor after certification.

If you need ordinary roof help rather than a FORTIFIED upgrade, check these roof repair programs and your local rehab office.

Louisiana also has a FORTIFIED Roof Tax Credit. This is a tax credit, not a grant. It can cover qualified expenses up to $10,000, subject to the state cap and first-come rules. The 2026 deadline for 2025-certified roofs has passed. A roof certified in 2026 may be submitted beginning January 1, 2027. A Fortify grant recipient cannot claim the credit for that roof.

Restore Louisiana and future energy rebates

Restore Louisiana provides federal disaster grant assistance. It is not a general storm repair program. The 2020-2021 homeowner round is closed to new applications. For Hurricane Francine, the survey deadline was June 30, 2025. Invited homeowners can still submit an application through their account.

The Francine homeowner program covers eligible applicants in Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, and Terrebonne parishes. The owner generally must have lived in the home as a primary residence when the storm occurred and still own it. Insurance, FEMA assistance, Small Business Administration loans, and other repair aid may reduce the award under duplication-of-benefits rules. Call 866-735-2001 for program help.

Louisiana’s Home Energy Rebates are still being developed. Applications are not open as of July 27, 2026. Do not pay anyone who claims to secure an early application.

Local Repair Programs by City and Parish

Local programs can be more useful than statewide programs, but they change quickly. Always confirm that intake is open before paying for a title report, inspection, or contractor estimate.

New Orleans and Orleans Parish

The City of New Orleans lists repair partners on its affordable housing page. Rebuilding Together may provide nonprofit repairs when capacity allows. Call 504-264-1815. The city lists 504-277-6831 for SBP.

The city’s Fortified Roof Program describes grants up to $35,000 for eligible low-income Orleans Parish owners, with priority for older adults, veterans, and people with special needs. It is separate from the state lottery. Confirm that intake is open.

The Preservation Resource Center’s Revival Grants Program offers up to $35,000 for exterior work such as roofing, gutters, siding, trim, windows, and historic district violations. The home must be at least 50 years old and owner-occupied. Income and one-property rules apply. Call 504-581-7032.

Jefferson Parish

The Jefferson Homeowner Rehabilitation Program uses a lottery. The 2025 round is closed, and no new 2026 opening date is posted. It covers needed rehabilitation, not cosmetic work. Assistance cannot exceed 51% of the home’s appraised value excluding land.

Jefferson Parish also lists narrower routes that may be available during the year:

• Emergency Repair Program: urgent HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or roof conditions that create immediate danger.
• Jefferson Joining Forces: quality-of-life repairs tied to code citations for households within income limits.
• Repairs on Wheels: minor repairs and accessibility work for qualifying older or disabled residents through Volunteers of America.

Call Jefferson Parish Community Development at 504-736-6262. For Repairs on Wheels, the parish lists 504-245-1145 and 985-612-1087.

Lafayette and unincorporated Lafayette Parish

Lafayette Consolidated Government’s housing rehabilitation page covers the City of Lafayette and unincorporated Lafayette Parish. The main program may provide a deferred-payment loan up to $50,000 plus labor from a local carpentry crew. It can address code violations, accessibility, sewer needs, and energy conservation.

This is not a no-strings grant. The owner must have occupied the home for at least three years and keep it as the primary residence. The obligation may clear after 15 years. Mobile homes are excluded, and other property rules apply.

Lafayette also lists a ramp program and smaller single-system repair options. Its page shows caps such as $7,500 for roofing, $15,000 for accessibility, $7,500 for an electrical panel, and $4,000 for septic or sewer work. For other sewer possibilities, see our sewer repair help. Call 337-291-7357 or email housingrehab@lafayettela.gov.

Shreveport and Baton Rouge

Shreveport rehabilitation assistance includes minor repair, major systems, painting, and accessibility programs. Work may include dangerous leaks, sewage, water heaters, gas, roofs, wiring, heating and cooling, foundations, or floors. Major Systems applications open in August only if there is no waiting list. Terms vary by case.

The Baton Rouge Homeowner Repair Program is not accepting applications. Its page says all funding is exhausted and existing unserved applicants will be screened first if money returns. The program focuses on life, health, and safety repairs, not cosmetic work. Do not send documents or pay anyone claiming to place you on a new Baton Rouge list unless the city confirms intake has reopened.

Utility, Aging, Disability, and Veteran Help

Utility weatherization programs

Utility programs are direct energy services or rebates, not broad repair grants. The home must be safe enough for crews.

• Entergy Louisiana: The income-qualified program serves eligible residential customers at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Possible no-cost work includes attic insulation, air sealing, duct sealing, pipe insulation, water-saving devices, and thermostats. Availability is limited and first come. Call 844-829-1300.
• Entergy New Orleans: Energy Smart offers home energy assessments and no-cost weatherization for eligible households in one-to-four-unit buildings. Renters need landlord permission. The 2026 page lists an annual income limit of $71,850 for a four-person household. Call 504-229-6868.
• Cleco: Power Wise weatherization may include testing, air and duct sealing, attic insulation, and water-saving devices. Standard approved measures have no out-of-pocket cost unless the customer requests uncovered work. Scheduling depends on contractors and funding. Income-qualified customers below 200% of the federal poverty level may receive more extensive upgrades. Call 1-833-373-6842.

Older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans

Use the Area Agency on Aging directory to find your local Council on Aging or aging agency. Services differ by parish. Some agencies list minor home repair, material aid, utility assistance, ramps, handrails, locks, or small safety changes. Ask what is available now rather than assuming every parish provides the same service.

The Louisiana Department of Health’s Community Choices Waiver can include ramps, widened doors, grab bars, and roll-in showers. It is a Medicaid service, not a general repair grant. Medicaid, level-of-care, and screening rules apply.

The State Personal Assistance Services Program serves qualifying adults with significant disabilities and may include home modifications, utility or rental assistance, medical equipment, and assistive technology. Apply through The Arc of Louisiana at 1-866-966-6260.

Veterans with certain service-connected disabilities may qualify for federal VA housing adaptation grants. For fiscal year 2026, the maximum Specially Adapted Housing grant is $126,526 and the maximum Special Home Adaptation grant is $25,350. These are true federal grants, but only for specific qualifying disabilities and housing situations. See our veteran repair guide for other paths.

How to Apply Without Losing Time

Do not wait until a program opens to gather basic papers. A complete file is easier to move when funding is short.

Ask whether clear title is required. Succession or heir-property issues can stop a file. Ask what ownership proof is accepted and whether legal help is available.

After applying, expect income and ownership checks, an inspection, a work list, bids, contractor approval, and a final inspection. Do not start until the program gives written permission.

Delays, Denials, and Scam Warnings

If you are denied, ask for the decision in writing and the exact rule used. Ask whether you can correct missing documents, request a review, appeal, or apply in the next round. Then try a different path. A weatherization denial does not mean USDA or a local emergency program will deny you.

Avoid contractors who promise a grant, demand insurance benefits, push a costly loan, or want a large payment before inspection. Ask whether the program must approve the contractor and whether it will record a lien.

A Seven-Step Louisiana Action Plan

Your best first action is the call that matches the repair. Your next action is to gather papers. Your backup action is Louisiana 211 plus a second program type.