Benefits · Housing Assistance
How to apply for Access to Home — Accessibility Modifications
New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) — Local Program Administrators
Who it's for
Access to Home pays to adapt your home so you can keep living there instead of moving into a nursing home or other institution. It covers wheelchair ramps and lifts, handrails, widened doorways, stair glides, roll-in showers with grab bars, bathtub grab bars and seats, non-skid flooring, and easy-to-reach work and storage areas. Repairs can total up to $25,000 for a unit. It works for a home you own or one you rent, as long as it is your primary, permanent residence. You apply through a Local Program Administrator — usually your county or town government or a local nonprofit — not to the state directly.
Household income must be at or below 80% of area median income — or 120% of area median income for veterans certified by the VA or Department of Defense as entitled to disability payments for a disability incurred in time of war. Those limits vary by county and household size. The home must be your primary, permanent residence. If you rent, the landlord must not already be required by law to make the change. A Local Program Administrator runs the program and decides; there may be a waiting list or no open funding round.
What you'll need
- Documentation of a substantial limitation caused by a disability
- Household income documentation
- Proof the home is your primary, permanent residence (owned or rented)
Where to apply
Apply online: official application
Renewals
a unit may be assisted more than once, but not more than $25,000 total during the regulatory period
Not sure if you qualify? Run a free check first.
Find my benefitsNot legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final eligibility decision.