Home Repair Grants in Wisconsin (2026 Guide)

Quick reference: match the repair to the first call

Where Wisconsin homeowners should start

1. Make the home safe. Leave and call 911 or the utility emergency line for fire, gas odor, carbon monoxide, sparking wires, structural collapse, or floodwater near electricity.
2. Use the address first. Open Wisconsin’s county resource finder. Select the county or Tribal nation and look for homeowner repair, energy assistance, weatherization, and housing rehabilitation contacts.
3. Name the failed part. Say “no heat,” “active roof leak,” “unsafe wiring,” “failed sewer lateral,” or “ramp needed.” Agencies screen by repair type, not just by the words “home repair grant.”
4. Ask what the help really is. Before applying, ask whether it is a grant, direct service, rebate, deferred loan, forgivable loan, regular loan, or referral.
5. Do not start early. Ask whether work done before approval is ineligible. Many programs will not reimburse a project that began before inspection and written authorization.

If you do not know which office takes the application, use our repair starting-point guide while you make the local calls.

WHEAP, HE+ HVAC, water-heater help, and weatherization

Wisconsin’s main statewide route for failed heating and energy work is the Home Energy Plus system. The official WHEAP page accepts online applications and directs people to local agencies for phone, mail, or in-person help. Call 1-866-432-8947.

WHEAP helps with heating, electric costs, and energy crises. A regular benefit is generally a one-time payment during the October 1–May 15 heating season. Crisis help may be available for no heat, very low fuel, or an imminent shutoff. Benefits can stop when program funds are exhausted.

Current 2025–2026 WHEAP income limits

The program year runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. A household at or below 60% of Wisconsin’s median income may qualify. New limits may apply after September 30.

HE+ HVAC and water conservation

The HE+ service page says HVAC help is available year-round when an eligible household’s primary heating system or air-source heat pump is inoperable, unsafe, or no longer provides heat. Repair or replacement may be approved. HE+ Water Conservation may repair or replace a leaking or nonworking water heater for eligible customers of participating Public Benefits utilities.

Help type: direct service. WHEAP verifies eligibility and the local weatherization agency manages the work. Eligible HE+ HVAC service does not create a lien or customer charge unless fraud is proven.

Weatherization Assistance Program

A WHEAP application may lead to a weatherization referral. Approved work can include insulation, air sealing, furnace or water-heater work, refrigerator testing or replacement, lighting, and health-and-safety checks.

Help type: direct service, not cash. A major roof, moisture, structural, electrical, or environmental problem may cause a deferral. Ask for a referral to CDBG, HOME, a revolving fund, or readiness money. Our weatherization guide explains the limits.

Local CDBG and HOME repair programs

Roofs, plumbing, electrical systems, foundations, porches, sewer laterals, code violations, and accessibility work usually fall into Wisconsin’s local housing-rehabilitation system. The state does not normally give these funds directly to a homeowner. Cities, counties, regional administrators, and nonprofit partners run the intake.

The official CDBG housing page says homeowner rehabilitation may include dwelling repair, architectural-barrier removal, emergency assistance, and repair or replacement of manufactured homes in manufactured housing communities. Individual households generally must be at or below 80% of the county median income, although local priorities and rules can be tighter.

Wisconsin CDBG homeowner assistance often uses 0% loans that are deferred or repaid with low monthly payments. The balance may become due when the home is sold, title transfers, or the property stops being the owner’s main residence. A local program may record a mortgage or lien.

The state HOME rehab page directs households to a local Homebuyer and Rehabilitation provider. HOME-funded work may cover needed rehabilitation, energy improvements, accessibility, lead-hazard reduction, and code corrections, depending on the local program.

For more detail on why a federal program becomes a local loan or repair service, read our CDBG and HOME guide.

Rural repairs, lead hazards, rebates, and financing

USDA Section 504 for rural homeowners

The Wisconsin USDA page lists Section 504 as open with ongoing applications. The applicant must own and occupy an eligible rural home, meet the county’s very-low-income limit, and be unable to obtain affordable credit elsewhere.

• Loan: Up to $40,000 at 1% for 20 years for repairs, modernization, or hazard removal.
• Grant: Up to $10,000 for owners age 62 or older to remove health and safety hazards.
• Combined help: Up to $50,000 under regular limits.
• Limit: Funding affects timing, and a grant is repaid if the home is sold within three years.

Call 715-345-7611 for informal prequalification. Our USDA Section 504 guide explains the process.

Wisconsin Lead-Safe Homes Program

The Lead-Safe Homes Program may help in a pre-1978 home. Property taxes must be current or on a payment plan. A child under 19 or a pregnant woman who lives in or regularly visits the home must be on, or eligible for, Medicaid or BadgerCare Plus.

Approved work can include assessments and lead-safe repairs to identified paint hazards. The state says approved owner-occupants receive 100% coverage for lead-safe work. It is not a general remodeling program.

Reality check: Cases are prioritized and may be put on hold. The state warns that work may take 12 months or more to start. Apply online when possible and upload the property-tax statement and required occupant information. Call 608-267-9191.

Focus on Energy rebates

Wisconsin’s home energy rebates can lower the cost of qualifying whole-home efficiency, heat-pump, electrical, insulation, air-sealing, and appliance projects. HOMES and HEAR are operational.

Help type: rebate or instant discount, not a general repair grant. Income approval, eligible equipment, a registered contractor, an assessment, or preapproval may be required. Do not buy first and assume reimbursement.

Focus says 2026 income-qualified applications are due within 60 days after installation and no later than August 31, 2026. Check the current rules or call 1-800-762-7077.

WHEDA More Like Home loan

The More Like Home loan can finance up to $50,000 of eligible work on qualifying owner-occupied Wisconsin homes at least 40 years old. Licensed and insured contractors are required.

2026 status: The 0% five-year forgivable funds are exhausted. Only the lower-than-market-rate loan remains, first-come through participating lenders until funds run out. This is financing with underwriting and repayment.

Local examples: Milwaukee, Madison, Dane County, and Waukesha

These examples show why the exact city and county matter. They are not the whole Wisconsin list.

City of Milwaukee

The STRONG Homes Loan offers $1,000–$25,000 for owner-occupants of one- to four-family properties. The assessed value may not exceed $290,000, and the owner generally must have occupied the home for 12 months.

Rates are 0% below 60% of area median income and 3% from 60% through 150%. A deferred option may fit low-income owners age 60 or older or disabled. The city records a mortgage. After 10 years, 25% of original principal, up to $5,000, may be forgiven with continued occupancy. Call 414-286-5610.

Suburban Milwaukee County

The county repair program offers zero-interest loans outside the City of Milwaukee, City of West Allis, and Village of River Hills. It may cover roofs, furnaces, sewer laterals, plumbing, electrical work, lead, and accessibility.

The home must be a single-family house or duplex with enough equity. The county records a lien, pays the contractor, and requires repayment. Mobile homes are ineligible. Call 414-278-4917.

Madison, Dane County, and Green County

The City of Madison says Project Home runs repairs for income-eligible city owners. Madison major rehab is generally a 0% deferred loan secured by a mortgage and due at sale or when the home is no longer the main residence.

The major repair page describes a similar 0% deferred Dane County route outside Madison. Green County instead uses a 0% five-year forgivable loan, with 1/60 forgiven monthly during continued occupancy. Call 608-246-3737 for current caps and exclusions.

Waukesha, Jefferson, Ozaukee, and Washington counties

The HOME Consortium program offers no-interest deferred loans for qualifying owner-occupied homes. Households generally must be below 80% of county median income. No monthly payment is required, but the balance is due after sale, transfer, cash refinance, or loss of owner-occupancy.

Older adults, disabled homeowners, caregivers, and veterans

ADRC, Family Care, and WisLoan

ADRCs serve all 72 Wisconsin counties, and many Tribal nations have Tribal specialists. Use the ADRC finder, request a home visit, or call 1-844-947-2372.

For a ramp, lift, safer bathroom, wider doorway, or similar access need, ask about local modification programs and Medicaid long-term care. Family Care can include accessibility adaptations when they are part of an approved person-centered plan. Medicaid, functional, and enrollment rules apply; it is not a general repair grant.

WisLoan is a loan backup for Wisconsin residents with disabilities. There is no income limit, but the bank bases approval and amount on the item and ability to repay.

Veterans

Use the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs local officer finder for County or Tribal Veterans Service Officers, or call 1-800-947-8387.

The VA HISA benefit may pay for medically necessary entrance access, roll-in showers, lowered sinks, permanent ramping, and plumbing or electrical work needed for medical equipment. Lifetime limits are up to $6,800 for qualifying service-connected cases and $2,000 for other eligible veterans. It does not cover routine remodeling or new construction.

See our veteran repair guide for more routes.

How the application usually works

1. Pre-screening: The office checks the address, repair, owner-occupancy, household income, age or disability rules, and funding status.
2. Document review: You submit ownership, income, tax, insurance, mortgage, utility, and household papers.
3. Inspection: A program inspector or energy auditor decides what work is eligible and whether the home can be served safely.
4. Scope and bids: The program may write the repair scope, require approved contractors, collect bids, and check permits.
5. Loan or grant closing: For deferred or forgivable loans, you may sign a note, mortgage, lien, covenant, or recapture agreement.
6. Construction and payment: The agency often pays the contractor after inspection. The homeowner may not receive cash directly.

Documents to gather

• Photo identification for every owner.
• Deed, property-tax bill, mortgage statement, or other proof of ownership and occupancy.
• Income proof for all household members, including wages, Social Security, pension, benefits, and self-employment records.
• Recent bank or asset statements when requested.
• Homeowners insurance and current mortgage information.
• Utility bills, shutoff notice, fuel statement, or proof of a heating failure.
• Property-tax status or an approved payment plan.
• Photos, code notices, lead orders, insurance letters, or medical information supporting the repair need.

Exact lists vary. Our repair document checklist can help you build one folder without sending sensitive papers to the wrong person.

Delays, denials, waitlists, and scam risks

Ask for the denial reason in writing. Then ask about missing documents, appeal, reconsideration, a waitlist, the next funding round, or another provider. Location, income, title, repair scope, and exhausted funds require different next steps.

For local referrals, use 211 Wisconsin. Dial 211 or 1-877-947-2211. Where available, text your ZIP code to 898211. Ask for owner-occupied repair, weatherization, disability modification, disaster recovery, and nonprofit emergency help.

A practical two-day plan

1. Photograph the problem and write a one-sentence description.
2. Call the county housing and energy contacts.
3. Add USDA if the address may be rural.
4. Add the ADRC when age, disability, or access matters.
5. Record the agency, staff name, program type, documents, and next step.
6. Do not sign with a contractor until the program gives written permission.