Home Repair Programs

The Orange County Housing Department offers assistance to low-income homeowners for urgent repairs and comprehensive housing rehabilitation. To qualify for these programs, applicants must 1) meet income eligibility restrictions; 2) own a property located in Orange County and occupy it as their primary residence; and 3) be current on the property taxes or be on an approved payment plan that is in good standing. Applications can be submitted by email, mail, or in person.

Urgent Repair Program

The Urgent Repair Program (URP), finances home repairs to fix imminent threats to health and safety, or to provide accessibility modifications. The program is for emergency, urgent, and critical repairs only. URP is funded by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency's Urgent Repair Program (funded by the N.C. Housing Trust Fund) and local County funds.  

• Gross household income must be 50% or less of Area Median Income (AMI)
• Must meet at least one preference: owner 62+ years of age; household member with a disability; owner veteran; single-parent household; child under age 6 in home exposed to lead hazards; household size 5+
• Repair must be critical to the health and safety of the household and/or provide for needed accessibility improvements, such as wheelchair ramps. 
• URP assistance is in the form of a deferred, unsecured, zero interest (0%) loan, forgiven at a rate of $2,000 per year until the principal balance is reduced to zero. The maximum loan amount is $10,000.

Single Family Rehabilitation Program

The Single Family Rehabilitation (SFR) program provides larger, more comprehensive repairs to homes for eligible homeowners to extend the usable life of their homes. The program is funded by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency's Essential Single Family Rehabilitation Loan Pool and local County funds.  

• Gross household income must be 80% or less of Area Median Income (AMI)
• Must meet at least one preference: owner 62+ years of age; household member with a disability; owner veteran; child under age 6 in home exposed to lead hazards; household size 5+
• SFR assistance is in the form of a deferred, zero interest (0%) loan, forgivable over a period between 10 to 20 years depending on the loan amount, until the principal balance is reduced to zero. The loan will be secured by a recorded Deed of Trust. The cost of the rehab cannot exceed $50,000.