There’s No Place Like Home

“There’s no place like home,” chants Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, tapping her heels three times. Dorothy is right. There is no place like home, and for people faced with new or progressive limitations, living at home independently shouldn’t feel like a dream at the end of a rainbow.

 No and Low-interest loans for Home Modifications are available for Massachusetts Homeowners and Small Landlords

 While many Commonwealth programs are facing budget cuts, long waiting lists and lack of resources, the Home Modification Loan Program is well funded and seeking applicants.  The program serves elders, as well as adults and families with children with disabilities.  Since 1999 these loans have helped hundreds of Massachusetts residents finance; the addition of ramps and lifts to improve their ability to get in and out of the home, kitchen and bathroom modifications to improve their ability to live independently within the home, and the widening of doorways and floor renovations to improve mobility within the home. 

 The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC), in partnership with the Community Economic Development Assistance Fund (CEDAC), funds these no and low-interest loans of up to $30,000 for eligible homeowners.  Program income guidelines are quite generous, for example a family of two with an income of $72,200 or less would qualify for a 0% loan.  Additionally, applicants eligible for 0% loans make no monthly payments, no interest accrues and they do not have to repay the loan until the property is sold or transferred.  Landlords with buildings with fewer than 10 units can also apply for a 3% loan to improve accessibility for a tenant.  Regional nonprofit agencies around the Commonwealth handle the application process and determine the eligibility of the modification and the applicant.  For regional agency contact information, or for more information about the program, visit www.mass.gov/mrc/hmlp, or contact Susan Gillam at 617-204-3739 or susan.gillam@state.ma.us

To learn more about this program, visit www.mass.gov/mrc/hmlp.