Emergency Grants and Loans
Offers information on the Emergency Home Repair program, which provides grants up to $5,000 for emergency repair to elderly Boston owner-occupants; the Senior Home Rehabilitation Program, which provides zero-interest loans for basic home improvements and grants for emergency repairs; and many other homebuying and homeownership programs.

MassHousing
The state affordable housing bank, which lends money at rates below the conventional market to support rental and home ownership opportunities for low-and moderate-income residents of the Commonwealth. MassHousing offers low-or zero-interest loans to help homeowners fix failed septic systems, remove lead paint, and make home improvements.

USDA loans and grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers loans and grants to elder homeowners in current or former rural towns. These include Plymouth and Cape Cod, most North Shore towns above Danvers, and most communities west and south of Acton. For repairs of health or safety hazards such as failed roofs, heating or septic systems, USDA also offers grants of up to $7,500 for those over 62, and loans that charge just 1 percent annual interest to all others.

MassRehab
MassRehab’s Home Modification Program offers low- or zero-interest loans for modifications to the homes of elders, people with disabilities, or families who have children with disabilities. Examples of modifications that may be eligible under this program include the installation of sensory adaptations, lifts, ramps, wheelchair access, grab bars, and egress adaptations.

Heating-system loans
The Mass. Department of Housing and Community Development runs a Heating Emergency Assistance Retrofit Task Weatherization Assistance Program, which makes loans to cover heating-system assistance and replacement for low-income homeowners. DHCD also offers fuel assistance to eligible low-income households by helping to pay a portion of winter heating bills.

Appliance grants
The Appliance Management Program, run by Action for Boston Community Development and Nstar, will pay to replace lighting or a refrigerator that uses excess electricity. Anyone on Nstar’s low-income R2 rate and approved for fuel assistance is eligible.

Other help: 
Some cities and towns provide low-interest home-repair loans funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Call your city or town’s planning or community-development departments, social-service agencies or elder commission for more information.