Access to Home

The NYS Access to Home Program provides financial assistance to make residential units accessible for low- and moderate-income persons with disabilities. Assistance with the cost of adapting homes will enable individuals to safely and comfortably continue or return to live in their residences instead of residing in an institutional setting.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants for the Access to Home Program are units of local government and organizations incorporated under the New York State Not-For-Profit Corporation Law, that have been providing relevant service to the community for at least one year prior to application.

Eligible Participants

An eligible participant must meet the following criteria:

• Documented substantial limitation caused by a disability.
• Household income at or below 80 percent of area median income (120 percent of area median income for veterans who are certified by the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense as entitled to receive disability payments for a disability incurred in time of war).

The assisted residential unit must be the primary, permanent residence of the eligible participant. The primary residence may be owner-occupied or a rental unit. Applicants proposing to assist rental units must ensure that the property owner is not otherwise obligated by federal, State, or local law to provide such improvements.

Eligible Activities

Funding may be used to provide financial assistance to make accessibility modifications, to the primary residences of low- and moderate-income individuals living with disabilities. Rehabilitation activities reimbursable by grant funds may only include accessibility modifications designed to address the needs of the person living with a substantial limitation caused by a disability. Examples of modification may include wheelchair ramps and lifts, handrails, doorway widening, and roll-in showers. Review the Access to Home Program Manual for more information related to eligible activities: https://hcr.ny.gov/access-home#program-manual.

• Current Funding Opportunities

Municipalities and not-for-profit organizations are eligible to apply for Access to Home program resources, homeowners and individuals are not eligible to apply directly to HCR for assistance. Once selected for funding, these municipalities and not-for-profit organizations become “Local Program Administrators” and provide assistance to eligible homeowners. A list of grants currently available through Local Program Administrators and a directory of a statewide network of housing and community development not-for-profits is available online, here: https://hcr.ny.gov/grants-available-through-local-partners