Home Repair Grants in Rhode Island (2026 Guide)

Last updated: July 27, 2026

Municipal lines matter. Six cities administer their own federal housing funds, while the other 33 municipalities generally use the state CDBG system. Use this guide to find the correct office, understand repayment, and avoid starting work too early. See how to find local home repair programs.

Start With the Repair Type and Your Town

Current Rhode Island Programs at a Glance

Statewide and Local Repair Paths

The Statewide Home Repair Program Is Closed, but Its Terms Matter

Rhode Island used $6 million from the Housing 2030 bond to launch the Statewide Home Repair Program in November 2025. Providence Revolving Fund now says the application period is closed. Applicants should check email for a message from info@revolvingfund.org; people who missed the round can use the program page to request future notifications.

The prior round offered forgivable loans up to $50,000 for 1- or 2-unit properties and $75,000 for 3- or 4-unit properties. A five-year lien was recorded and 20% was forgiven each year if the property was not sold, transferred, or cash-out refinanced. Eligible properties were fully residential, had 1 to 4 units, had current mortgage and property-tax payments, and had a majority of households at or below 80% of area median income. Owner occupancy was not required.

Eligible work included roofing, electrical, heating, plumbing, accessibility, lead reduction, energy improvements, and other necessary major components. PRF managed estimates, bidding, construction, and contractor payments. Call 401-272-2760.

City Programs and the 33-Town State Route

The state’s Community Development Block Grant program covers 33 municipalities; six entitlement cities run their own federal housing programs. The state’s September 30, 2026 housing-rehabilitation deadline is for municipal applications, not individual homeowners. Residents should contact their municipality for a local intake, waitlist, or partner agency. The HRG guide to CDBG and HOME repair programs explains common local rules.

• Cranston: The city describes 0% deferred or 2% 15-year rehabilitation loans for qualifying owner-occupants in 1- to 3-family homes. Typical work includes roofs, siding, windows, doors, gutters, and code repairs. Call 401-780-6240 and confirm intake. See Cranston Community Development.
• East Providence: The Home Improvement Program offers grants, no-interest deferred loans, and low-interest loans for eligible owner-occupied and qualifying rental properties. It covers emergency, code, safety, accessibility, and efficiency work. Call 401-435-7536.
• Woonsocket: The 2026 Safe at HOME program says residential applications are open. Its loans can fund code correction, lead work, standard fixtures and appliances, and health-and-safety repairs for qualifying low-, moderate-, or fixed-income households. Call 401-767-9232.
• Pawtucket: A general homeowner-repair opening was not clearly posted when checked. Call Planning and Redevelopment at 401-728-0500, extension 1098, and ask about homeowner rehabilitation. See the Pawtucket HOME page.
• Warwick: The city describes low-cost fixed-rate loans for low- to moderate-income homeowners and affordable rental properties. Call 401-738-2009, option 2, and confirm current terms through Warwick Community Development.
• Providence: A current general homeowner-repair intake was not clearly posted. Call 311 in Providence or 401-421-2489 from outside the city for the current housing referral. Use the lead contact below for lead hazards.

Ask every local program whether assistance is a grant, forgivable loan, deferred loan due later, or monthly-payment loan, and whether taxes, water charges, insurance, mortgage, title, and occupancy must be current.

Lead, Accessibility, and Healthy-Homes Help

RIHousing LeadSafe Homes

The RIHousing LeadSafe Homes Program is processing applications statewide except in Providence, Pawtucket, and Woonsocket, which have city programs. The home must generally predate 1978, and a pregnant person or child under 6 must live there or a child under 6 must visit. The owner or tenant must be under 80% of area median income for the HUD grant path or under 120% for the State Loan Program. Health Department referrals and elevated-blood-lead cases receive priority.

Work may include windows, doors, painting, soil remediation, ventilation, minor electrical repairs, and railings. RIHousing says participants have no out-of-pocket or monthly payments and, in most cases, assistance is completely forgiven. Residents usually leave during construction, often for one to two weeks; qualifying relocation is covered.

Call 401-450-1350. City contacts are Providence at 401-680-8427, Pawtucket at 401-728-0500 extension 357, and Woonsocket at 401-597-0845.

Accessibility Grants and Loans

The Rhode Island Livable Home Modification Grant reimburses 50% of eligible costs, up to $4,500, for a Rhode Island resident with a disability who owns or rents the home. Eligibility uses that resident’s income, not total household income. Permanent ramps, no-step entrances, wider doors, accessible bathrooms or kitchens, grab bars, lifts, sensory modifications, and backup power for life-sustaining equipment may qualify.

Normally, the applicant must receive an award letter before work, obtain an independent professional needs assessment and estimate, secure permits, pay the approved project in full, and then request reimbursement. Call Barbara Palazzo at 401-462-0103 before signing.

Access Independence II is a loan up to $50,000, not a grant, for families and caregivers of people with developmental disabilities. It may fund ramps, bathroom changes, lifts, and equipment. For more routes, see home modification help for disabled homeowners.

Heating, Weatherization, and Energy Upgrades

LIHEAP and Weatherization

Rhode Island’s LIHEAP period closed April 15, 2026 and is expected to reopen October 1, 2026. LIHEAP is a heating-cost and crisis grant, not general repair money. It can address heating bills, shutoff, lack of deliverable fuel, or a heating system that cannot be repaired.

The Weatherization Assistance Program takes applications year-round through Community Action agencies, but households must qualify for LIHEAP. It provides services such as insulation, air sealing, ventilation, detectors, and health-and-safety measures. Owners and renters with landlord approval may qualify.

FFY 2026 annual income limits are $42,252 for one person, $55,252 for two, $68,253 for three, $81,254 for four, $94,254 for five, and $107,255 for six. Find your agency through the Rhode Island Community Action Association or call 1-855-697-4347.

Rhode Island Energy and 2026 HEAR Rebates

Rhode Island Energy customers in 1- to 4-unit homes can request a no-cost assessment. Current offers include 50% to 100% off qualifying insulation up to $10,000, no-cost air sealing, equipment rebates up to $2,750, and possible 0% financing. Confirm the written offer because caps vary. Call 888-633-7947; discount-rate customers can call 401-351-1800.

The state HEAR program requires pre-approval. Its low-income path serves LIHEAP-enrolled households. A moderate-income pilot operates in Pawtucket, East Providence, Barrington, Warren, Bristol, Little Compton, Tiverton, Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport, and Jamestown.

Approved households at or below 80% of area median income may receive 100% of eligible costs up to $1,000 for electric cooking, $1,600 for a heat-pump dryer, $2,500 for wiring, and $4,000 for a panel. Households at 81% to 150% may receive 50% of cost, capped at $840 for cooking, $840 for a dryer, $2,500 for wiring, and $4,000 for a panel.

Rural, Septic, Senior, and Veteran Options

USDA Section 504 for Rural-Eligible Homes

The USDA Section 504 Home Repair program is open, with Rhode Island applications accepted on an ongoing basis. It serves very-low-income homeowners who occupy a rural-eligible home and cannot obtain affordable credit elsewhere. Grants are limited to owners age 62 or older and must remove health or safety hazards.

Current national terms allow loans up to $40,000 at 1% for up to 20 years and lifetime grants up to $10,000; eligible households may combine them for up to $50,000. A grant is generally repayable if the home is sold within three years. USDA decides address and income eligibility. Call the Warwick office at 401-826-0842. The HRG Section 504 guide explains the application.

Other targeted paths

• Septic or sewer: RIHousing offers low-interest loans, not grants. Town rules vary. The Sewer Tie-In Loan Fund currently lists Coventry and Tiverton and offers up to $10,000 for as long as five years. Start with the municipality.
• Aging in place: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Providence and East Bay currently offers a limited program for homeowners age 65+ at or below 80% of area median income. It may address ramps, railings, lighting, and fall prevention. Call 401-831-5424, extension 200.
• Older adults, disabled adults, and caregivers: The Aging and Disability Resource Center is a navigation service. Call 401-462-4444 or use the Office of Healthy Aging help page.
• Veterans: VA HISA can cover medically necessary alterations, with a $6,800 lifetime maximum for qualifying service-connected or related conditions. Veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities may qualify for larger FY 2026 adapted-housing grants. Check the official VA page and the HRG guide to VA SAH, SHA, and HISA help.
• Unsure where to begin: Call Rhode Island 211, a free 24-hour referral service, and ask for repair, weatherization, aging, disability, and municipal housing resources for your town.

What to Gather and How to Apply

You can make the first call without a complete file, but applications move faster when the basic papers are ready. The exact list varies by program.

• Photo ID for the owner and, if requested, other adult household members
• Deed, property tax bill, or mortgage statement showing ownership
• Proof the home is the primary residence when owner occupancy is required
• Recent pay stubs, Social Security, pension, disability, unemployment, or other benefit letters
• Most recent federal tax return and recent bank statements if requested
• Mortgage, property-tax, water-bill, and homeowners-insurance status
• Clear photos of the repair and any code, shutoff, insurance, or health notice
• For 2- to 4-unit properties, tenant names, leases, rents, and possible tenant income documentation
• For accessibility work, a professional needs assessment or medical documentation

See the full HRG checklist of documents needed for home repair assistance.

1. Describe the danger, not just the project. “Roof leak over a bedroom,” “live wiring,” “no heat,” or “cannot enter the tub safely” is more useful than “I need a grant.”
2. Ask whether intake is open. If not, request a waitlist, notice list, or the next expected funding round.
3. Confirm the financial product. Ask about repayment, lien, interest, fees, sale, transfer, refinance, death of owner, and early payoff.
4. Get written permission before work. Confirm whether the program chooses the contractor, requires multiple bids, controls payments, and approves change orders.
5. Track every contact. Record the date, name, phone number, documents sent, and next action.
6. Keep two or three valid paths moving. A local rehab application can often be pursued while you also seek weatherization, lead, or utility help for different parts of the house.

If Funding Is Closed or You Are Denied

A closed program is not the same as permanent ineligibility. Ask whether the office has a waitlist, emergency-only lane, cancellation list, future-notification form, or nonprofit administrator. If a city program is closed, ask whether the repair fits weatherization, lead-safe work, an accessibility program, USDA, insurance, or a utility incentive instead.

If you receive a denial, request the reason in writing and identify whether the problem is income, ownership, title, taxes, mortgage status, property type, repair type, service area, missing documents, or lack of funding. Correctable issues should be fixed before reapplying. The Livable Home Modification rules, for example, provide an appeal process, while other programs may offer reconsideration or a new application. See what to do after home repair assistance is denied.

Avoid Scams and Bad Financing

• Verify the program through an official government, RIHousing, utility, USDA, VA, or established nonprofit website.
• Check contractor licensing and insurance before signing.
• Do not sign a deed, power of attorney, reverse mortgage, or home-equity agreement merely to obtain a repair estimate.
• Ask who receives the money. Many legitimate programs pay an approved contractor after inspections rather than giving cash to the homeowner.
• Read every lien and repayment clause, especially what happens after sale, transfer, refinance, or death.

Review home repair scams that target older homeowners before accepting door-to-door financing.