Home Improvement Programs
Ramsey County offers two programs, the Critical Repair Grant Program and the Residential Rehab Deferred Loan Program, to help homeowners with low-to-moderate incomes to make health and safety improvements, repairs and fix code related issues. Please note these programs are not emergency services programs and are not able to help with emergency situations that require immediate attention.
Critical repair program
Funds for this program are distributed through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) which provides grants of up to $10,000 to eligible homeowners of both single-family homes and manufactured homes located in suburban Ramsey County.
To qualify for assistance, applicants must:
- Reside in one of the following suburban Ramsey County cities: Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Gem Lake, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Maplewood, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, North Saint Paul, Saint Anthony (partial), Roseville, Shoreview, Vadnais Heights, White Bear Township or White Bear Lake.
Note: Homes located within the city of Saint Paul are not eligible. See City of Saint Paul info about home repair assistance.
- Be an owner-occupier of a single family or manufactured home.
- Homeowners must be at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) for the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington region. See income chart for eligibility.
Eligible critical repair grant activities include:
- Exterior painting: siding or trim on the home.
- Electrical: repair, replace, upgrade or new in the home.
- Plumbing (including water heater): repair, replace, upgrade or new.
- HVAC: repair, replace, upgrade or new.
- Structural and foundation problems: repair or replace on the home.
- Stucco/Siding: repair or replace existing or install new on the home.
- Doors: repair or replace existing on the home.
- Windows: repair or replace existing on the home.
- Roof: repair or replace existing on the home.
- Decks/Porches: repair or replace existing on the home.
- Sidewalks/Steps: repair or replace existing.
- Retaining Walls /Fences: repair or replace existing.
- Skylights: repair or replace existing on the home.
- Garages: repair.
- Lead abatement: interior and exterior.
- Appliances: repair or replace existing or install new on the home.
- Modifications to improve the mobility of disabled and/or elderly occupants.
Ineligible Improvements: cosmetic, recreational and/or luxury improvements, working capital, payment for owner's labor, debt service or refinancing existing debts and other work items determined by the program to be ineligible.
Lead-based paint assessment: If your home was built prior to 1978, the home must undergo a lead risk assessment once you are pre-approved for the program. If any hazards are found, the funds must first be used to abate/remediate them. and The remaining funds can go toward health and safety needs and other improvements.
The Critical Repair Grant Program is not currently accepting new applications. If you meet the above eligibility requirements and you would like to be placed on the program interest list, please complete the form below. When additional funding becomes available you will be alerted.
For more information, call 1-800-339-6856 or email [email protected]
This program is administered by nonprofit provider Slipstream, Inc.
Residential rehab deferred loan program
Funds for this program are distributed through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) which provides secured loans up to $20,000 to eligible homeowners of owner-occupied (single family) homes located in suburban Ramsey County.
Deferred loans do not have interest or monthly payments. The loan must be repaid only if a homeowner refinances for cash-out, sells, transfers interest or moves from the property within 10 years after the loan is made. This deferred loan also decreases at the rate of 10% per year after the first year and will be completely forgiven after the tenth year.
To qualify for assistance applicants must:
- Reside in one of the following suburban Ramsey County cities: Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Gem Lake, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Maplewood, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, North Saint Paul, Saint Anthony (partial), Roseville, Shoreview, Vadnais Heights, White Bear Township or White Bear Lake.
Homes located within the city of Saint Paul are not eligible. If you live in Saint Paul, please visit the City of Saint Paul's webpage for home repair assistance.
- Be an owner-occupier of a single-family home. Note: Manufactured homes are not eligible.
- Homeowners must be at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) for the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington region. See income chart for eligibility.
- Meet underwriting criteria: No bankruptcies or foreclosures within two years of the loan application date and mortgage must be current with no more than two delinquencies in the past 24 months, except for loans in forbearance.
Eligible Residential Rehab Deferred Loan Program include:
- Exterior painting: siding or trim on the home.
- Electrical: repair, replace, upgrade or new in the home.
- Plumbing (including water heater): repair, replace, upgrade or new.
- HVAC: repair, replace, upgrade or new.
- Structural and foundation problems: repair or replace on the home.
- Stucco/Siding: repair or replace existing or install new on the home.
- Doors: repair or replace existing on the home.
- Windows: repair or replace existing on the home.
- Roof: repair or replace existing on the home.
- Decks/Porches: repair or replace existing on the home.
- Sidewalks/Steps: repair or replace existing.
- Retaining Walls /Fences: repair or replace existing.
- Skylights: repair or replace existing on the home.
- Garages: repair.
- Lead abatement: interior and exterior.
- Appliances: repair or replace existing or install new on the home.
- Modifications to improve the mobility of disabled and/or elderly occupants.
Ineligible Improvements: cosmetic, recreational and/or luxury improvements, working capital, payment for owner's labor, debt service or refinancing existing debts and other work items determined by the program to be ineligible.
Lead-based paint assessment: If your home was built prior to 1978, the home must undergo a lead risk assessment once you are pre-approved for the program. If any hazards are found, the funds must first be used to abate/remediate them. The remaining funds will go toward health and safety needs and other improvements.
The Rehab Deferred Loan Program is not currently accepting new applications. If you meet the above eligibility requirements and you would like to be placed on the program interest list, please complete the form below. When additional funding becomes available you will be alerted.
For more information, please call 1-800-525-6214 or email [email protected]
This program is administered by nonprofit provider Slipstream, Inc.