Small Repairs Grant Program

The Scituate Affordable Housing Trust Announces New Small Repair Grant Program

The Scituate Affordable Housing Trust is introducing a Small Repair Grant Program to provide up to $3,500 in grant funding to help qualifying Scituate homeowners make essential repairs and modifications to their homes for health and safety reasons.  This Program will also help maintain the quality of Scituate’s housing stock and enhance our community. 

Steven Irish, the Chair of the Scituate Affordable Housing Trust, explained, “This new program is part of the Town’s effort to help low- and moderate-income homeowners maintain their safety, security, and independence.  Small repairs and adaptations can make a real difference not only to individual homeowners but also to our neighborhoods.  Programs like this have been operating effectively in nearby communities, and we hope it will help here in Scituate as well.”

The grant limit for this program is $3,500 per applicant. Applications will be evaluated and prioritized based on program funding, health and safety considerations, and the financial need of the applicant.  These grants are provided on an unsecured basis; there is no repayment required unless the grant recipient does not comply with program terms or transfers the home within one year.

Applicants must meet the following requirements to be eligible:

  1. The applicant must be the owner of the property, must plan to stay in the home and use it as his or her primary residence for the entire year (12-month period following receipt of the grant funds), and the property must be located in Scituate.
  2. Household income is not higher than 100% of Boston Area Median Income limits including: Household of 1: $98,140, Household of 2: $112,160, Household of 3: $126,180, Household of 4: $140,200, etc. These income limits are adjusted annually.
  3. The property assessment is below the Town of Scituate’s median assessed valued for a single-family home which is currently $605,700.
  4. The applicant agrees to sign a Grant Agreement and notify the Town through its Affordable Housing Trust prior to selling or listing the home for sale within the 12 months following payment under this program.

Grant funding can cover a wide variety of home repairs and modification including:

Small Jobs and/or Contractor Work:   Plumbing, carpentry, window repairs, gutters or downspouts, door repair or replacement, step or porch repair, lock repair or replacement, cement work or masonry repair, tiling, plaster patching, sheet-rock repair, smoke/CO2 detectors, weather stripping, electrical, heating, interior painting, floors, installation, masonry, siding, roofing, and the like.

Adaptations: Bathroom grab bars, step-through tubs, raised toilets or toilet seats, hand-held shower heads, tub transfer bench, tub seats/rails, bed transfer bars, railings throughout the house, change door knobs to levers, hook-up bells to light switches, hook-up flashing light to phone, various phone volume control devices, intercom entryway buzzer system, light switch height, etc.

To obtain an application or for any questions, contact Scituate’s Affordable Housing Trust at scituateaffordablehousing@scituatema.gov or the Scituate Town Administrators Office at 781-545-8741.  Information is also available at the Scituate Town Hall outside the Town Clerks’ Office and on the Town’s webpage at https://www.scituatema.gov/affordable-housing-trust/pages/small-repairs-...

Applications are due no later than October 31, 2022