Get Help with Car Repair from the Road Ready Repairs Program

The Road Ready Repairs Program is run by the Here to Help Foundation and can provide financial assistance for your vehicle repairs. If you live in Wayne or Oakland County in Michigan, you may be able to get help paying for repairs!

What is the Here to Help Foundation?

Here to Help is a private foundation that assists people in need who are located in Wayne County or Oakland County in Michigan. They typically respond within 24 hours. If you are approved, help can be granted to you as quickly as a few hours after their final decision.

They offer several assistance programs other than car repair payment help, such as:

• Rent payment assistance
• Providing furniture to those who were homeless, suffered from domestic violence, or experienced a fire
• Utilities payment assistance
• Financial assistance with purchasing used vehicles
• Help with filling out job applications
• Locating housing and employment
• Mentoring and support groups
• Financial literacy help
• Computer and Internet training
• Mental health counseling
• Referrals for job training
• Negotiating with creditors

If you’re interested in learning more about their other programs, the link to the Here to Help Foundation’s website can be found at the end of this article.

What is the Road Ready Repairs Program?

The Road Ready Repairs Program is one of the financial assistance programs offered by the Here to Help Foundation. They can grant you up to $800 in order to help you pay for your vehicle repairs.

The Here to Help Foundation does not pay for damages that do not affect the ability of the car. They also do not pay for tires or tire related expenses. They will only help finance repairs if the car is fully fixed and will run properly for the foreseeable future (such as the car is not too old, does not have too many miles, and/or does not require near future repairs).

If your request for financial assistance is approved, the money will not be provided to you directly. It will go to the service provider, such as the car repair shop that is fixing your car.

Do I qualify to receive financial assistance?

The Here to Help Foundation has a general requirements list that everyone looking to apply to their programs must qualify for. There is then a specific requirements list for each individual program that you must qualify for if you want to be approved for that program.

Please be sure to read carefully since the Here to Help Foundation has many specific requirements in order for you to qualify for the Road Ready Repairs Program. Keep in mind that Here to Help considers itself a last resort and will want to know what other ways you tried to seek assistance before coming to them. They also will only help you one time with one specific situation, so consider exploring other options before getting your one time assistance grant from Here to Help.

General Requirements for Application

• You must be living full time in Wayne or Oakland County and have a Michigan Driver’s License or a State of Michigan issued ID Card with your current address.
• The Foundation’s help cannot be a temporary solution to the problem. For example, they won’t help you pay this month’s rent if you won’t be able to pay next month’s. You must show that after their help you’ll be able to pay all your future monthly expenses.
• You cannot be the cause or a contributing cause to your own emergency. Unfortunately, this includes situations where a pregnancy or birth of a child caused a loss of income and/or is a reason you need help.
• If a crime caused your emergency need, you must provide a police report.
• The Here to Help Foundation is a one-time only last resort resource. They can only help you one time with one situation after you have tried many other options.
• If there is a current unresolved dispute between you and someone else about who was the cause of the emergency, Here to Help cannot assist you until a conclusion of who is at fault has been found.
• If you are capable of working, you must be employed and have received pay stubs for the past four weeks at your current job. The job cannot be temporary (including through a staffing or employment agency). The job also cannot be via the State of Michigan as an Aide/Home Chore or Child Care Provider.
• You must be receiving an income from employment, disability payments, a pension, or social security.
• If you are incapable of working due to a disability, you must be receiving SSD or SSI. You must be the person who is receiving the benefits.

Specific Requirements for the Road Ready Repairs Program Application

Please be sure to review the above general requirements for qualification. You will have to qualify under the general requirements and the specific requirements for the Road Ready Repairs Program.

• The maximum amount that the Here to Help Foundation can grant you for car repairs is $800.00. If your estimated cost of repair is over $800, you will have to pay what remains. For example: if your total cost is $950.50, it would be 950.50 – 800.00 = 150.50 (what you must pay). If your estimate of repair from a licensed mechanic is more than $800, and you or other sources cannot cover what remains after the Foundation pays $800, the Foundation recommends you do not apply.
• The vehicle must be insured and registered in your name.
• Here to Help requires that you are able to show you can afford future car repairs and maintenance.
• Payments on your car must be up to date.
• The Here to Help Foundation does not pay for body damage that does not affect the car’s ability to be driven. They also do not help with tires or tire related expenses.
• Apply only after you have an estimate of repair costs from the licensed car repair business that will be doing the repair.
• If your repair price is over $800.00, you must pay your total cost minus the $800 first before Here to Help will assist. The entire bill has to be paid when they approve you.
• If the car was purchased within the past few months, Here to Help will not assist because they state the car should have been checked by a mechanic at the time of purchase. They also will not assist with a car that has too many miles, is too old, or will require many repairs in the future.
• Here to Help will not partially repair the car. All necessary repairs must be done at once.
• If the repairs have already been paid for, the Here to Help Foundation cannot reimburse you.

Where can I apply?

If you meet all of the requirements, you can click on this link to begin your application for the Here to Help programs. Their website states that you will usually hear from them within 24 hours. They will ask you follow up questions and request supporting documents. When the final decision is made depends on how quickly you can answer their questions and provide necessary documents.

If you have any questions, you can email [email protected].

You can also look at what other programs the Here to Help Foundation has to offer by clicking this link to go to their website.

What other resources does Low Income Relief have for me?

Thank you for asking! We always love to help you in any way we can! Here’s a few more articles you can check out:

• Click here to read more articles for Michigan.
• Click here for more articles on getting help with transportation.
• Click here for more articles on car repair assistance.

If you like to learn by watching videos, look through our Low Income Relief YouTube channel!

And as always… click on these links to save money and get free stuff!

Chloe Copti

With her years of researching and writing experience, Chloe uses her experience and her passion for helping others to help you get the financial aid you deserve.