Home Modification Grants for People with Disabilities

Every year, more Americans living with disabilities become homeowners. According to the website Home Advisor, purchasing a home is only half the complete picture since the nature of someone’s disability can impact many aspects of life, including the way they access, maneuver through, and enjoy activities at home. 

This is where one can start to think about home modifications. If a disabled homeowner has stairs but depends on the use of a wheelchair, a beneficial modification might be a chairlift. If a family member is blind, it might be useful to install grab bars in the shower. Or if a family has a child with a mental disability, they may protect them by installing locks on cabinet doors that hold harmful chemical cleaners. 

Home Advisor provides extensive information about available grants to help people with disabilities improve their quality of life at home. 

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), for example, offers two different grants: the Specially Adapted Housing Grant and the Special Housing Adaptation Grant. For those who qualify, these can be used for the purchase or construction of a new home, or the modification of a currently owned dwelling. 

Another example is Rebuilding Together AmeriCorps, which helps many groups of people build new homes or modify existing ones. This group prides itself on working with families who have one or more members living with a disability to repair or modify homes to make them safer and more accessible. 

For a detailed list with descriptions – including organizations like Lions Clubs International and the American Parkinson Disease Association – go to https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/grants-for-home-modification. 

 *Disclaimer: Any health and wellness content presented is for general informational purposes only. Such content is not intended to replace or serve as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.