Repairing homes, restoring community

Home Repair Program

The City of Indianapolis now administers all federal block grant funds for non-emergency home repairs. You can reach the City of Indianapolis Home Repair Team at indyhomerepair@indy.gov or by calling 317-327-4663.

If your home repair is deemed to be an emergency, the City of Indianapolis will forward your application to SEND.

To meet eligibility guidelines, applicants must meet federal income guidelines, own and occupy their homes, be current on their property taxes, and live within our service area.

Want to learn more? Check out the February 2023 TANC meeting recording and minutes here!

Live outside our service area but still need assistance with home repairs? Check out these other local resources:

  • Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership (INHP) is an organization that works county wide. (317)610-4663

  • Central Indiana Council on Aging (CICOA) is an organization that focuses on issues for seniors. (317)254-5465

  • Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA) is an organization that works state-wide. (317)232-7777

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The Home Repair Program, run by Southeast Neighborhood Development (SEND), helps eligible homeowners make necessary repairs to their homes, ensuring they are safe and sanitary. The program is designed to assist low-to-moderate income households in maintaining their homes, which allows for aging in place and preventing larger, costlier repairs down the line.

  • To qualify for the Program, homeowners must:

    • Own and live in the home as the primary residence

    • Owner of record of the home

    • Current with their property tax payments

    • Low to Medium Income

  • This program is provided at no upfront cost to the homeowner. There will be a lien, recorded as a wholly forgivable mortgage placed on the home. This lien is forgivable after 30-years.

  • Updated: 11/14/24 - SEND only provides emergency home repair to all homes in the City of Indianapolis.

    The Program focuses on emergency repairs that address health and safety concerns in the home such as:

    • No heat in the winter

    • Sewage back up into the home

    • No water due to repair issues

    Ineligible repairs include cosmetic improvements, fence repairs, landscaping, and repairs to accessory structures like garages.

  • Areas eligible is only the City of Indianapolis proper. Not eligible areas are Speedway, Beech Grove, Lawrence, Southport, etc.

  • Project length can vary depending on necessary testing, certification documents, and permits as well as the size or urgency of the project. A typical project can take 3-6 months to complete. Individual projects may vary. 

General

  • This program is structured as a 30-year lien that is recorded as a wholly forgivable mortgage. You won’t have a monthly payment or pay any interest.  If you live in the home for the full 30-years, then the lien will be forgiven.

  • There will be no action if you live in the home for 30 years.  

  • If the home is sold, then the lien must be repaid with profits from the sale.  

  • If the transaction is an open and fair sale, then the balance will be forgiven.  

     

    EXAMPLE: You sell your home for $40,000, and after paying your mortgage and closing costs you have $10,000 profit. If your home repair lien is for $12,000, then the city will recoup $10,000 and forgive the $2,000 balance. 

  • In most cases, the City will subordinate the home repair lien. This means the lien will remain in place, but the City agrees to the home repair lien being subordinate (in a lower lien position) to the new mortgage. 

  • Yes. Please contact dmdmortgages@indy.gov to discuss payments.  

  • The balance of the years left on your lien can be assumed by inheritance if the inheritor occupies the property as their full-time residence. 

    EXAMPLE: At year 20 of your 30-year lien you become incapacitated or pass away and your child inherits your home. If they sell the home, then the above rules apply for sale of the property. If the child remains in the home as their permanent residence for the remaining 10 years of the lien, then it will be forgiven.  

  • The lien will cover the cost of all repairs approved by the homeowner and completed by the contractor. Staff time, expenses related to testing and remediating radon or lead, and recording fees are part of the grant and will not be included in the 30-year lien. 

  • The City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development will be the lien holder. 

  • No. DMD does not conduct a credit check during the application process or report the lien to any credit bureaus. 

Financing & Lien

  • The City of Indianapolis now administers all federal block grant funds for non-emergency home repairs. If your home repair is deemed to be an emergency, the City will forward your application to SEND.

    If you are ready to start the process, you can proceed to: https://www.indy.gov/form/HRP-pre-screen-application to take the pre-screen survey. 

  • There are no minimum income requirements, but there will be an income verification process to ensure your household income does not exceed HUD’s 80% Area Median Income limit. Please see the chart below for income limits. 

    • Household of 1 - $57,650

    • Household of 2 - $68,850

    • Household of 3 - $74,100

    • Household of 4 - $82,300

    • Household of 5 - $88,900

    • Household of 6 - $95,500

    • Household of 7 - $102,100

    • Household of 8 - $108,650

  • Please note the information requested is time sensitive for the latest information.  We need everything uploaded in the first 2 weeks of application.

    If no income is declared a notarized zero income affidavit will be required. We will provide a form and provide notary service.

    Once your application is accepted, we will review the necessary documents. Documents are required for every adult in the home.  


    Documents can include but are not limited to:  

    • Latest Tax return (if none please let us know)

    • Social Security Letter of Benefit (Latest for this year). Any deposits over $500 will require a short explanation of the source of where it came from.

    • Mortgage Statement 

    • Homeowners Insurance policy cover page

    • Paystubs (if working require the latest 2 months)  

    • Bank Statements (Latest 6 months for each bank account owned)

    • Savings accounts (if separate statements 2 months)

    • e-Wallet / Virtual wallet Statements (latest 2 months)

    • Retirement Account Statements (Latest report)

    • Other documents needed by the Home Repair Team to qualify you for the program.  

  • SEND will verify your ownership through the property record system at maps.indy.gov 

  • Yes, the homeowner may leave the program any time prior to signing the contract with the contractor and the lien agreements.  

  • Any previous lien will continue under the rules established at the time and recorded on your promissory note.  

Application

  • The purpose of this program is to address essential deferred maintenance needs. Requests for assistance with cosmetic repairs, additions to the home, or upgrades of any kind are not eligible.  Additionally, the program cannot fund landscaping, fencing, or renovations to auxiliary buildings like garages or any repairs on a home that is not the owner’s primary residence.  A list of examples of allowed renovations is on the City’s Homeowner Repair website.   

    Per federal requirements, every home must be tested for the presence of radon. Certain repairs may necessitate testing for lead. If either radon or lead is detected then, lead-based paint stabilization or installation of a radon mitigation system will be required to mitigate these hazards. Costs related to radon and lead-based paint testing and mitigation will not be included in the lien.

  • No. The City has developed a pool of qualified contractors who are bonded, insured, and have experience in the residential renovation field.  

  • No, SEND staff will help you through all the steps of your Homeowner Repair project. The Homeowner Repair Team welcomes any trusted advisor you wish to have attend all meetings and phone calls.   

  • Radon is a naturally-occurring, odorless, colorless, and tasteless radioactive gas. The gas can accumulate in enclosed spaces within dwellings, such as basements or crawlspaces. According to US EPA estimates, radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year and is the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers. Due to the elevated radon levels in Marion County and HUDs policy for addressing radon, the City prioritizes testing for and mitigating radon levels when developing or rehabilitating housing.  

    You can find more information about radon on the HUD website: 

    https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/healthy_homes/healthyhomes/radon 

  • Lead-based paint is paint or other surface coatings that contain lead equal to or exceeding 1.0 milligram per square centimeter or 0.5 percent by weight or 5,000 parts per million (ppm) by weight. Lead-based paint hazards are any condition that causes exposure to lead from dust-lead hazards, soil-lead hazards, or lead-based paint that is deteriorated or present in chewable surfaces, friction surfaces, or impact surfaces, and that would result in adverse human health effects.  

    HUD estimates that 35% of U.S. homes contain some lead-based paint. There are many health risks associated with lead-based paint. Lead paint is the most common source of lead exposure for U.S. children under the age of 6 and even low levels of lead can be severely harmful. In children, exposure to lead can cause nervous system and kidney damage, learning disabilities and decreased intelligence, poor muscle coordination, decreased muscle and bone growth, and hearing damage.  

    Although children are especially susceptible to lead exposure, lead can be dangerous for adults, too. In adults, exposure to lead can cause harm to a developing fetus, increased chance of high blood pressure during pregnancy, fertility problems in men and women, high blood pressure, digestive problems, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, and muscle and joint pain.  

    The Lead Safe Housing Rule applies to all federally-assisted housing, including owner-occupied repairs funded through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). Depending on the nature of work and the dollar amount of federal investment in the property, certain requirements will apply when handling lead-based paint.  

    You can find more information about radon on the HUD website: 

     

    The HUD Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead-based Paint in Housing | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 

Repairs & Awareness

Help support neighbors in need

To meet the demand for the many requests we receive and to provide a barrier-free, easier-to-access option for neighbors, SEND launched the homeowner repair fund in 2020.

To support this fund when making a donation, click “Owner Occupied Repair Fund” under “My Donation is For.” This will ensure that your contribution goes directly toward home repair projects that may not qualify for other programs and will, as a result, positively impact a family or individual’s quality of life.