Access to Home for Heroes/Veterans

The Access to Home for Heroes/Veterans Program provides financial assistance to make accessibility modifications, emergency home repairs or address code violations to the primary residences of low- and moderate-income veterans with disabilities. Such activities will enable veterans with disabilities to live in their residences safely and comfortably, rather than in an institutional setting. Eligible veterans may be renters or homeowners, with service-related injuries, age, or health related disabilities.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants for the Access to Home for Heroes/Veterans 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:

• Qualifying Veteran status.
• Documented substantial physical limitation caused by a disability.
• Household income not to exceed 120 percent of area median income.
• 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, emergency home repairs or address code violations to the primary residences of low- and moderate-income veterans with disabilities. Eligible activities must further the goal of enabling veterans with disabilities to live in their residences safely and comfortably, rather than in an institutional setting. Examples of accessibility modifications may include wheelchair ramps and lifts, handrails, doorway widening, and roll-in showers. Review the Access to Home for Heroes Program Manual for more information related to eligible activities: https://hcr.ny.gov/access-home-heroesveterans#program-manual.

• Current Funding Opportunities

Municipalities and not-for-profit organizations are eligible to apply for Access to Home for Heroes 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