Houston home repair help for seniors: what's open now

By the Aging Safely Baths editorial team. Checked against each program's official page on October 22, 2026.

Who should I call first? Use the helper

Answer a few questions and we will list the programs that fit, in the order we would call them. Nothing you choose is saved or sent anywhere.

Which Houston programs are open right now?

This status board reflects each program's own website on October 22, 2026. Repair programs open and close with funding, sometimes within weeks, so call before you count on any of them.

What is happening with the City of Houston repair program?

The city's Housing and Community Development Department runs single-family home repair for owner-occupied homes inside city limits. Its own page now lists the program as closed. Funding for the general program and the 2015 disaster program is exhausted, new applications for the Winter Storm Uri program are paused, and the city says it will not issue new applications for DR24, the program for damage from the May 2024 derecho and Hurricane Beryl, until further notice. Applicants who were not served stay on the list and are told when money returns.

When it is open, the checklist is short: you hold title, live in the home, are current on city property taxes (or on an approved payment plan), earn at or below 80% of area median income and live outside the floodway. The city gives consideration to seniors over 62, families with children under 18 and people with disabilities. Bigger jobs come with an affordability period: work under $50,000 has none, while moderate rehabilitation carries 5 years and substantial rehabilitation or reconstruction carries 10.

What to do now: call 832-394-6200 and ask to be notified when applications reopen, and keep proof of income, ownership and taxes in one folder so you can apply quickly.

Is Harris County taking home repair applications?

Partly. Harris County Housing and Community Development's Home Repair Program serves very low to low income homeowners who are 62 or older, or disabled at any age. The county says it is currently accepting applications only for health and safety projects, meaning septic systems and water wells. That helps rural and unincorporated homes on wells and septic, but it is not a path to a bathroom remodel right now. The county lists a pre-application online and a phone line at 832-927-4955.

Which nonprofits help Houston seniors with accessible bathrooms?

Rebuilding Together Houston says its free critical repairs include accessible bathrooms, alongside roofs and electrical work. It runs several programs, each with its own rules. Its accessibility ramp program serves low-income elderly or disabled neighbors in Harris County. Its veterans program serves Harris County veterans at or below 80% of area median income who are on the deed. Its neighborhood revitalization program serves households at or below 50% of area median income in the East End (77003, 77011, 77012, 77023) and Third Ward (77004). There is no age requirement, but you must own and live in a single-family home full time and be current on property taxes or on an official payment plan.

Houston Habitat for Humanity runs a Senior Repair program for low-income homeowners 62 and older in Houston and Harris County, plus a Veteran Repair program. It takes applications through an online form and by phone at 713-671-9993.

Nonprofit repair crews do the work themselves or through their own contractors, and they decide what gets fixed after an inspection. Describe the bathroom problem plainly: "I can no longer step over the tub," or "the shower is unsafe for my wheelchair."

What if I live in Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria or Galveston County?

Fort Bend County's Housing Rehabilitation Program closed to homeowner applications on August 31, 2022, and the county says it will announce when it reopens. For Montgomery, Brazoria and Galveston counties we did not find an open county-run homeowner repair program on official county sites tonight. Your best first call in all of these counties is the H-GAC Area Agency on Aging at 1-800-437-7396, which tracks what is open locally, followed by 2-1-1 Texas. Statewide programs still apply wherever you live: Medicaid STAR+PLUS home modifications, the TDHCA Amy Young Barrier Removal Program where a local administrator is funded (our sister site's Texas bathroom funding checker walks through it), and VA benefits.

Can Medicaid or the VA pay instead?

For Medicaid members, STAR+PLUS home and community-based services can include minor home modifications up to a $7,500 lifetime limit, plus $300 a year for repairs, when the member's service plan calls for them. Start with the health plan's service coordinator. For veterans, the VA's HISA grant can help with medically necessary bathroom changes; see Aging Safely Baths' VA HISA bathroom guide for limits and steps. Our paying for a walk-in tub in Houston page covers Medicare, tax deductions and financing too.

How do I get ready while programs are closed?

• Get on lists. Ask every program you qualify for to add you to its notification or wait list, and write down who you spoke with and when.
• Collect documents once. Deed or title, photo ID, proof of income for every adult, property tax statement, homeowner's insurance and any disability or VA paperwork.
• Get a professional opinion. Ask the doctor about an occupational therapy home safety visit. A therapist's note helps programs see the bathroom as a safety need.
• Know your numbers. Price the project so you can decide quickly. Our Houston cost guide explains what moves a quote, and our bathroom safety checklist covers low-cost fixes you can make now.
• Compare options. A barrier-free shower can be simpler to fund than a tub; see walk-in tub or walk-in shower and the roll-in shower kits at Showers4Less.

When you are ready for a written quote that a program or caseworker can review, Aging Safely Baths installs walk-in tubs and roll-in showers across the Houston area, or call 1-888-779-2284.

Questions we hear about this

Sources

1. City of Houston Housing and Community Development, Single-Family Home Repair: houstontx.gov
2. City of Houston, DR24 Home Repair Program: houstontx.gov
3. Harris County Housing and Community Development, Home Repair Program: hcd.harriscountytx.gov
4. Rebuilding Together Houston, Apply for aid: rebuildingtogetherhouston.org
5. Houston Habitat for Humanity, Critical Repair: houstonhabitat.org
6. Fort Bend County, Housing Rehabilitation: fortbendcountytx.gov
7. Texas HHS STAR+PLUS Handbook, 6600 Minor Home Modifications: fhb.hhs.texas.gov

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. We are a bathroom company and are not affiliated with these programs; each program decides who qualifies.