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Home Repair Programs: Survey Results, Eligibility & Funding



This is the third part of MFP’s Survey on Homeowner Use of Official Government Repair Programs. This part covers homeowners’ satisfaction with the different level of programs and finally review the main barriers to fund home repairs (from personal reasons to programs’ barriers)

 

Updated: March 12, 2025

 

Second part highlight where homeowners get help for their home repairs (Federal, State, County and city, Non-profits). It also goes over homeowners awareness of those programs and access to these programs.

 
 

Homeowners Satisfaction with Government Home Repair Programs

 

Federal Programs

  • These are uniform across states and function as loans, which means once a homeowner is approved for the home loan, the process to access funding is straightforward. This standardization tends to lead to consistently high satisfaction rates.
 

State Programs

  • Satisfaction with state programs can vary considerably. In some states, extensive direct help is available, while in others, support is limited. Generally, when homeowners are approved, they report high satisfaction, but the overall picture varies depending on the state’s level of assistance.
 

City/County Programs

  • These programs exhibit the widest variation because they are influenced by local governance. Differences in resources, management, and priorities at the city or county level create a broader range of satisfaction scores both within and across states.
 

Non-Profit Programs

  • Focused on emergency repairs and weatherization, non-profit initiatives are well-intention and broadly offered. However, because these programs can differ significantly in structure and execution, they show a wide spectrum of satisfaction levels.
 

This breakdown underline that while federal programs benefit from uniformity and streamlined processes, the variability in state, city/county, and non-profit programs suggests homeowners are still fairly satisfied with the funding and services provided across all levels.

 
 
State Federal State County/City Non-profits
Alabama 75% 62% 64% 54%
Alaska 75% 72% 72% 65%
Arizona 70% 80% 56% 70%
Arkansas 88% 87% 56% 79%
California 78% 92% 64% 58%
Colorado 72% 83% 75% 74%
Connecticut 86% 72% 63% 66%
Delaware 79% 90% 65% 80%
DC 75% 77% 58% 52%
Florida 71% 70% 61% 77%
Georgia 72% 94% 75% 74%
Hawaii 73% 92% 73% 59%
Idaho 86% 74% 63% 50%
Illinois 79% 82% 66% 46%
Indiana 76% 85% 75% 76%
Iowa 87% 83% 58% 79%
Kansas 87% 73% 63% 38%
Kentucky 84% 77% 69% 56%
Louisiana 72% 74% 68% 48%
Maine 74% 73% 76% 54%
Maryland 71% 84% 69% 38%
Massachusetts 72% 79% 65% 43%
Michigan 78% 85% 71% 50%
Minnesota 91% 81% 59% 41%
Mississippi 77% 75% 72% 39%
Missouri 78% 90% 77% 52%
Montana 90% 88% 77% 70%
Nebraska 82% 84% 63% 39%
Nevada 82% 81% 71% 53%
New Hampshire 71% 90% 66% 41%
New Jersey 72% 84% 69% 56%
New Mexico 79% 84% 56% 65%
New York 78% 90% 63% 47%
North Carolina 92% 86% 80% 63%
North Dakota 71% 76% 78% 70%
Ohio 79% 81% 63% 44%
Oklahoma 77% 93% 68% 43%
Oregon 80% 70% 65% 48%
Pennsylvania 72% 76% 67% 61%
Rhode Island 90% 85% 75% 71%
South Carolina 86% 85% 74% 57%
South Dakota 78% 88% 76% 48%
Tennessee 84% 93% 77% 69%
Texas 86% 85% 69% 40%
Utah 71% 89% 59% 37%
Vermont 80% 72% 66% 50%
Virginia 84% 71% 79% 39%
Washington 91% 69% 60% 56%
West Virginia 86% 74% 72% 45%
Wisconsin 71% 85% 67% 77%
Wyoming 76% 87% 61% 80%
 
 
 
 

Homeowners Barriers for Home Repair & Access to Programs

 

MFP’s Programs Survey shows with the high demand for home repairs, a big portion of homeowners can’t pay for their home repairs. Once it comes to home repair government programs, lack of eligibility is often an issue. Then when homeowners are eligible lack of sufficient funding for local programs means some homeowners have to wait, sometimes a few years, to receive their funding.

 

Lack of Personal Funding

 

What the Data Shows: Personal finance is the first and most frequently cited barrier across all states, with percentages ranging from 40% to 64%. States like South Carolina (64%), Nebraska (63%), and Connecticut (62%) have the highest percentages of homeowners struggling with this issue.

 

Implications

 
  • Homeowners in these states may be facing income constraints, high living costs, or insufficient savings to afford repairs. States with high personal finance concerns may need to explore income support programs, grants, or subsidized loans to help homeowners bridge the gap.
 
 

Lack of Credit to Get Normal Loans

 

What the Data Shows: Personal credit is a less common but still significant barrier, with percentages ranging from 12% to 55%. States like New Mexico (55%), Oregon (51%), and Nevada (51%) have the highest percentages of homeowners citing credit issues.

 

Implications

 
  • Homeowners in these states may have poor credit scores, limited credit history, or high debt burdens, making it difficult to secure traditional loans. States could consider alternative financing options, such as low-interest loans, credit-building programs, or partnerships with community development financial institutions (CDFIs).
 
 

Do Not Fit into Program Eligibility When They Want to Apply

 

What the Data Shows: Program eligibility is the least cited barrier, but it still affects a significant portion of homeowners in some states. Percentages range from 15% to 36%, with Louisiana (36%), New Mexico (36%), and Montana (36%) having the highest percentages.

 

Implications

 
  • More homeowners in these states may face eligibility criteria they can’t fill, lack of awareness about programs, or mismatches between program requirements and homeowner needs.
  • States could simplify eligibility criteria, expand outreach efforts, or create more flexible programs** to ensure more homeowners qualify.
 
 

When They Fit, Often the Program No Longer Has Funding

 

What the Data Shows: Program funding is a moderate to significant barrier, with percentages ranging from 29% to 60%. States like Florida (60%), Ohio (59%), and Virginia (58%) have the highest percentages of homeowners citing this issue.

 

Implications

 
  • Even when homeowners meet eligibility criteria, insufficient program funding prevents them from accessing assistance. States with high program funding concerns may need to increase funding allocations, seek federal or private grants, or prioritize high-need areas to ensure programs remain viable.
 
 
 
 

Potential Solutions

 

Increase Funding for Home Repair Programs: States with high program funding concerns (e.g., Florida, Ohio, Virginia) should prioritize increasing funding through state budgets, federal grants, or public-private partnerships.

 

Expand Eligibility Criteria: States with high eligibility concerns (e.g., Louisiana, New Mexico, Montana) should simplify and broaden eligibility requirements to ensure more homeowners qualify.

 

Enhance Outreach and Awareness: Many homeowners may not be aware of existing programs. States should invest in outreach campaigns to ensure eligible homeowners know about available resources.

 

Target High-Need Areas: States should continue prioritizing funding and resources for areas with the highest concentrations of need, such as rural communities or regions affected by natural disasters.

 
 

State Personal Finance Personal Credit Program Funding Program Eligibility
Alabama 52% 52% 45% 24%
Alaska 49% 28% 37% 20%
Arizona 41% 38% 38% 34%
Arkansas 48% 38% 32% 26%
California 42% 52% 36% 18%
Colorado 55% 41% 40% 17%
Connecticut 62% 25% 53% 15%
Delaware 46% 46% 38% 28%
DC 46% 27% 52% 26%
Florida 55% 43% 60% 22%
Georgia 61% 15% 39% 25%
Hawaii 58% 29% 31% 18%
Idaho 47% 37% 46% 33%
Illinois 54% 33% 47% 22%
Indiana 56% 16% 45% 36%
Iowa 48% 25% 36% 26%
Kansas 47% 12% 49% 25%
Kentucky 42% 30% 48% 29%
Louisiana 44% 40% 37% 36%
Maine 62% 15% 37% 25%
Maryland 41% 30% 56% 35%
Massachusetts 48% 34% 32% 27%
Michigan 44% 30% 30% 21%
Minnesota 61% 35% 46% 31%
Mississippi 43% 37% 35% 18%
Missouri 49% 20% 37% 29%
Montana 41% 50% 57% 36%
Nebraska 63% 28% 33% 17%
Nevada 60% 51% 48% 36%
New Hampshire 43% 40% 55% 28%
New Jersey 46% 15% 41% 15%
New Mexico 52% 55% 36% 36%
New York 61% 16% 36% 25%
North Carolina 60% 34% 56% 31%
North Dakota 48% 43% 55% 33%
Ohio 53% 17% 59% 35%
Oklahoma 56% 39% 42% 23%
Oregon 59% 51% 58% 35%
Pennsylvania 49% 33% 48% 19%
Rhode Island 57% 16% 30% 34%
South Carolina 64% 22% 33% 33%
South Dakota 50% 32% 45% 15%
Tennessee 57% 44% 46% 23%
Texas 50% 27% 45% 22%
Utah 50% 30% 36% 33%
Vermont 62% 24% 42% 18%
Virginia 49% 18% 58% 25%
Washington 54% 37% 31% 21%
West Virginia 52% 43% 43% 29%
Wisconsin 40% 41% 46% 32%
Wyoming 64% 40% 29% 17%
 
 

Next: MFP’s Home Major Repair Survey and Homeowners Small Repair Survey.