If you’re a low-income Virginia homeowner or renter and something in your home is broken, unsafe, or hard to get around in, there’s a state program that can help pay for the fix. It’s called EHARP — the Essential Home and Accessibility Repair Program — and it covers everything from a leaking roof to a wheelchair ramp, at no cost to you.
Here’s what you need to know.
What Is EHARP?
EHARP is a program run by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The program has two main goals: fixing urgent health and safety problems in a home, and helping people with disabilities adapt their homes so they can get around more safely and independently.
One important thing to understand up front: you don’t apply to DHCD directly. EHARP works through local administrators — nonprofits, housing agencies, and county offices — who manage applications and repairs in their own service areas. DHCD funds the program, but your local agency runs it.
What Does EHARP Cover?
EHARP pays for two kinds of work: fixing urgent health and safety problems, and making a home more accessible for someone with a disability.
That includes things like a leaking roof, unsafe electrical wiring, a broken heating or cooling system, plumbing or septic repairs, wheelchair ramps, grab bars, and widening doorways.
EHARP does NOT cover cosmetic work, mold remediation, pest control, or repairing anything that is not part of your home structure (such as a shed, yard, driveway or landscaping).
How Much Can I Get?
As of this writing, EHARP funding is capped at $4,000 per job. If your repair costs more than that, but you can bring in other funding sources to help cover the difference, there’s no maximum total job cost.
In genuinely urgent situations where no other funding is available, your local agency can request an exception from DHCD, but that has to be approved before any work begins — so don’t count on this unless your agency confirms it in advance.
Who Is Eligible?
To qualify for EHARP, you generally need to meet these requirements:
- You live in a part of Virginia where EHARP is available (see below)
- You’re either a homeowner, or a tenant with written approval from your homeowner or landlord
- Your home is currently occupied (vacant properties don’t qualify)
- Your total household income from all sources doesn’t exceed 80% of the area median income (AMI) for your household size, as determined by HUD
Here’s something a lot of people get wrong: you don’t have to be elderly or disabled to qualify. Eligibility comes down to income and having an urgent repair need. If you do need an accessibility modification like a ramp, there’s money set aside specifically for that too — you’ll just still need to meet the income limit.
Because help is first-come, first-served, it’s worth applying as soon as you know you need it rather than waiting.
One thing to check first: EHARP isn’t available in Virginia’s largest cities and counties, since those areas get their own separate federal housing funding. This includes places like Richmond, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Henrico County, and about a dozen other similar communities. DHCD’s local administrator list shows exactly which agency covers your specific city or county — if yours isn’t listed, contact your local government directly, since they likely run a similar repair program of their own.
How Do I Apply?
Because EHARP is run locally, the exact process can vary a bit depending on which agency serves your area. In general, though, here’s how it works:
- Find your local EHARP administrator. Every part of the state that’s covered by EHARP has a specific agency responsible for it — DHCD’s website maintains a current list of these agencies by county and city.
- Contact that agency directly to ask about applying. Don’t apply to DHCD directly — they don’t process individual applications.
- Complete the application, which will ask about your household, your income, and the specific repairs you need. If you’re a tenant, your landlord will need to sign off on the work as well.
- Provide documentation. You’ll need to show proof of income for everyone in your household, along with proof of homeownership or your rental agreement.
- Wait for approval and scheduling. Once your local agency submits your application to the state and it’s approved, they’ll coordinate the actual repair work.
Because assistance is first-come, first-served and funding is limited, applying earlier in the year tends to be better than waiting until later, when local funds may already be committed.
Relief Recap
EHARP offers real, hands-on help for Virginia homeowners and renters dealing with unsafe living conditions or accessibility barriers they can’t afford to fix on their own, and you don’t have to be elderly or disabled to qualify. The keys to getting help are simple: confirm your area is covered by checking DHCD’s local administrator list, reach out to that agency directly rather than the state, and apply as soon as you know you need help since funding is limited and first-come, first-served. If you live in one of Virginia’s larger cities where EHARP isn’t available, don’t give up — contact your local government to ask what similar help they may offer instead.
