Where to Start: 211, HUD Counselors, Community Action, and Eldercare

Last updated: October 24, 2026

Bottom line: Call 211 if you do not know where to start. For no heat or a shutoff, call Community Action. For loan or foreclosure risk, call a HUD housing counselor. For an older adult, call Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116.

These four services are starting points. Most do not give you a repair grant. They help you reach the office that can review an application. That may be a local housing office, a utility program, a federal rural office, or a nonprofit crew.

This page helps you choose the first call and the next action. If you need to search by state, county, and city, use our separate local home repair finder. We do not repeat its full search steps here.

Make the first call for your situation

Not sure who serves your home?

First: Dial 211 or use United Way 211. Give your ZIP code, county, and the one repair that puts you at risk. Ask for two open programs and the name of the office that takes applications.

Next: Call those offices. Check that your address is covered and that funds are still open. If 211 cannot find a repair program, call your city or county housing office.

No heat, an unsafe furnace, or a shutoff?

First: Call your energy company and local Community Action Agency today. Say if your heat is off or a shutoff is near. Ask about crisis energy aid and safe heating repair.

Next: Ask who handles the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and weatherization in your county. These may have separate forms. For unsafe heat or other urgent hazards, also see our emergency home repair guide.

A loan, tax bill, or foreclosure could cost you the home?

First: Call a HUD housing counselor at 1-800-569-4287. Say when any payment, sale, or court date is due. Ask for help before you sign new debt or a deed.

Next: Bring the loan offer, mortgage papers, tax notice, and repair price. If you have a legal deadline, seek legal aid too. Do not wait for a repair program to stop a foreclosure.

An older adult needs safer steps, a ramp, or bathroom changes?

First: Call or text Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116. Ask for the Area Agency on Aging that covers the home.

Next: Ask that agency about minor repairs, fall safety, home changes, and help with forms. Tell them about any falls, disability, or caregiver needs. Ask if a home visit is needed.

The roof, floor, wires, or plumbing needs major work?

First: Call the city or county housing office. Ask for “owner-occupied home repair,” “emergency repair,” or “housing rehab.” State what is unsafe, not just what is worn out.

Next: Ask who pays for the work, what repairs are covered, and when intake opens. If the office has no funds, ask about a nearby nonprofit or county program.

You own a home in a rural area?

First: Ask a USDA Rural Development office about Section 504 home repair help. The home must be in an eligible rural area. You must also meet the rules.

Next: Check the address and ask for local intake forms. Do not assume every older rural owner gets a grant. Some aid is a loan that must be paid back.

A storm, flood, or other disaster caused the damage?

First: Contact your insurer and local emergency office. Check whether federal disaster help has been approved for your area. Keep photos and all claim letters.

Next: Ask about any filing date for the disaster. Normal repair programs may not pay for the same loss. If you must make urgent repairs to keep safe, keep all bills.

What the four main services can and cannot do

211: a place to get the right names

211 links people to help with housing, bills, food, and storms. A call gives you office names and phone numbers. It also tells you how to apply. It does not inspect a roof or approve a repair.

Ask for the office that takes the form. Do not stop at a phone list. Local listings can change. Check that the program is open when you call it. If you rent, say so. A repair fund for owners may not fit you.

Community Action: energy and crisis help

Local Community Action Agencies serve different areas. Each offers its own help. Find yours with the Community Action agency search. Some offices help with energy bills, heating problems, weatherization, and other needs. Others refer you to the agency that does.

LIHEAP is energy aid, not a general roof grant. A local office may offer bill help or crisis aid when funds and rules allow. Use the LIHEAP state contact search to find where to ask. Amounts, income rules, dates, and crisis terms differ by state and tribe.

The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is a service that can help save energy at home. It is not cash sent to you. One federal income path is at or below 200% of the poverty limit. Other paths may apply.

States set the steps to apply. Owners and renters may apply, but renters need the owner’s consent for work.

See the DOE weatherization application steps. A local crew checks the home and picks work based on an energy audit. There may be a waitlist. Do not assume WAP will pay for a full roof or any furnace fault.

Our weatherization application guide explains that path.

HUD counselors: advice before you risk your home

A housing counselor can help with repair debt or missed mortgage bills. They can also help with foreclosure or reverse mortgage risks. Use the HUD housing counseling service or call 1-800-569-4287. Not all groups handle all needs. Ask first.

Foreclosure, eviction, and homeless counseling are free. Some other services may have a small, fair fee. Ask about any cost before the meeting. You do not have to take a lender’s product to get counseling.

A counselor does not award HUD repair money. The value is an independent check of a loan, lien, payment plan, or other risk. Read our repair loans and scams guide before using your home as loan security.

Eldercare: support for older people and caregivers

The Eldercare Locator service can link you to an Area Agency on Aging. It takes calls and texts at 1-800-677-1116. It does not have a national cash grant for home repairs.

Local aging groups may know about ramps, grab bars, safe steps, chore help, case workers, or caregiver support. Use the Area Agency on Aging network to see how that system works. Ask the local office about age and income rules. Ask about waitlists too.

Who may approve and pay for the work?

Once you get a referral, you need the office that pays for repairs. These are common next stops. Each has its own area, funds, and rules.

• City or county housing office: Ask about owner repair, safety work, access changes, and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs. HUD’s CDBG program page says local governments run these funds. HUD does not take personal CDBG repair applications. See our local CDBG repair guide.
• USDA Rural Development: Section 504 may help very-low-income owners in eligible rural areas who cannot get affordable credit elsewhere. USDA lists loans up to $40,000 at 1% over 20 years, and grants up to $10,000 for owners age 62 or older to fix safety hazards. The grant must be paid back if the home is sold within three years. The USDA Section 504 page lists the forms and office search. Applications are taken year-round, but approvals depend on funds. Read our Section 504 repair guide for the full rules.
• Disability services: A Center for Independent Living can help a person of any age seek access support and local contacts. Start with the official independent living list. The center may refer you for home changes, but may not fund the job.
• Disaster aid: FEMA help depends on the disaster, county, type of damage, and open application period. Check federal disaster applications and your insurer. Keep proof of damage and payments. Do not claim the same cost twice.
• Nonprofit repair crews: Check the local Habitat affiliate search and the Rebuilding Together affiliate finder. Some affiliates repair homes or make them safer. Others do not. Each group sets its own rules. Ask when it takes forms and which areas it serves.

Ask what kind of help it is

The word “help” can mean many things. A referral tells you where to call. A repair service sends workers or pays a firm. A grant may still have rules about a home sale.

A loan creates a debt that you must pay back.

Ask for terms in writing. Local repair plans may use a loan due later or a loan that can be forgiven. Some loans come due when you sell, move, or get a new loan on the home. A lien can put the home at risk. This can be true even if no bill is due each month.

Ask who picks the repair crew and if you must pay a share.

Get ready for the first call and application

Start with your ZIP code and one plain sentence about the problem. Then say if a child, older person, or person with a disability is at risk. You do not need to send private records to a stranger who only claims to know about grants.

Common records include proof of income, your deed or tax record, a photo ID, utility bills, photos of the damage, and any code or insurance notices. Some offices need a mortgage statement, tax status, lien report, or proof of disability. Ask before paying for bids or copies. Our repair application document list covers common records.

An office may check your home or plan what work is safe and needed. It may choose its own workers. Some work needs a permit. It may also need lead-safe steps and a final check. No one can promise a start date until funds are set.

Phone scripts you can use

If they say no or have no funds

Ask why. The repair may be outside the area, too costly, or not covered. The program may have a closed funding round. An unclear deed, missing proof, tax debt, or work done too soon can also cause a delay.

Ask for the reason in writing and a way to fix it. Find out if you can appeal, send more proof, join a waitlist, or apply later. Ask the office to name one different program type. Our denied repair help guide has more steps.

If you rent, tell the owner about unsafe parts. Check local renter rights too. Did you inherit the home? Is the deed unclear? Ask legal aid for help. No ramp help at one office? Try a disability group or aging office.

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