Department of Community and Economic Development announces availability of $120 million for new whole-home repairs program

Harrisburg, PA – Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Acting Secretary Neil Weaver announced that county governments across Pennsylvania can apply for funds through Governor Tom Wolf’s new $120 million Wholehome Repairs Program, which opened today.

“We’re pleased to announce that DCED is now accepting applications for this program, which will provide eligible homeowners and landlords across the state with critical home repair and weatherization assistance,” said Acting Secretary Weaver. “We urge counties to begin the application process as soon as possible so they can distribute these funds to those who need them the most.”

The $120 million Whole-home Repairs Program will provide funding for countywide agencies to address habitability and safety concerns, provide measures to improve energy or water efficiency and make units accessible for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, this program provides funding to counties for construction-related workforce development.

Gov. Wolf secured a total of $375 million in his final budget to address affordable housing issues across the commonwealth.

Eligible applicants for direct funding from DCED under the Whole-home Repairs Program are county governments or a nonprofit entity authorized via an adopted resolution by the county government. DCED will award funds to one applicant total per county.

A nonprofit or governmental entity awarded funds under the program must use the funds for the following purposes:

• Make funding available to homeowners (up to $50,000) whose household income does not exceed 80 percent of the area median income.

• Make loans available to small landlords renting affordable units and securing those loans with a mortgage recorded against the residential property (with some provisions for loan forgiveness).

To apply for funding, the county or a single eligible entity designated by the county must submit an application online, through DCED’S Single Application for Assistance website located at dced.pa.gov/singleapp. All applications and required supplemental information must be received by 5:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time) on January 31, 2023.

Each county will receive an allocation (minimum of $200,000) based on calculations using a variety of metrics, which are outlined in the program guidelines. Allocations by county can also be found on the DCED Whole-home Repairs Program site located here.