New Home Rehabilitation Loan Program (HRLP) for Rural Low-Income Households
Relief is here for rural low-income homeowners needing repair help.
The Home Rehabilitation Loan Program (HRLP) provides deferred loans to rural, low-income households that need repairs and improvements on their primary residence for health, safety, or durability. Funding for the loan program comes from the Washington state capital budget.
Loan applications and loan services are only available in the rural areas shown on the map below.
If you live in one of these areas and are interested in applying, click on the map to see who to contact for an application.
Commerce does not distribute applications and loans directly.
For Loan Clients - How to Find Locations Offering Loans
- Find your location on the map
- Click on your location for information on who serves your county
- Click on the purple house symbol for details on who to contact for information
The Home Rehabilitation Loan Program (also called Rural Rehab) funds Rehabilitation Agencies to provide deferred loans to rural, low-income households needing repairs and improvements on their primary residence to increase health, safety and durability.
Rural low-income households with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level can get a deferred loan.
Number of People in Household | Income Maximum |
1 | $25,760 |
2 | $34,840 |
3 | $43,920 |
4 | $53,000 |
5 | $62,080 |
6 | $71,160 |
7 | $80,240 |
8 | $89,320 |
For each additional person add: | $ 9,080 |
The following are Rehabilitation Agencies and counties where the program offers services:
| Blue Mountain Action Council | Columbia, Garfield, Walla Walla Counties |
| Olympic Community Action Programs | Clallam, Jefferson Counties |
| Coastal Community Action Program | Grays Harbor, Pacific Counties |
| Community Action Center of Whitman County | Whitman County |
Lower Columbia Community Action Council Rural Resources Community Action | Cowlitz, Wahkiakum Counties Ferry, Pend Oreille, Lincoln Counties |
| The Opportunity Council | Whatcom, Island, San Juan Counties |
| Habitat for Humanity | Seattle-King County |
| OIC of WA | Adams, Grant, part of Yakima Counties |
Work on your home must be residential repairs and improvements that affect health, safe, and durability of your home. They must be essential improvements like rot removal, foundation/structural improvements, energy-related improvements, lead-based paint and asbestos work, improvements for handicapped persons, repair or replacement of major housing systems, emergency storm repairs, seismic retrofits, or radon mitigation.
1. You have to own and live in the house that is going to be repaired.
2. Your income must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty level as adjusted for family size. (see chart in answer to “Who can get a loan?” above)
3. You must be living in one of the rural areas listed above.
You will be given priority if you are a senior citizen, a person with a disability a veteran, or in a family with children five years old and younger.
If you are an eligible homeowner and have sufficient equity in your home you can borrow up to a maximum of $40,000. Please note that your current mortgage plus the HRLP Loan cannot exceed 80% of your home’s assessed value as determined by your local property tax assessor.
The interest rate for the program is set based on the previous year’s consumer price index. Loans issued in 2022 will have an interest rate of 4.7%. Your interest rate is not adjustable; once you take out a loan, your interest rate is fixed for the length of the loan.
Rehabilitation Agencies may need to, and are authorized to charge you up to 7% of the home rehabilitation costs as an administrative fee. This fee is to help cover the costs of title reports, project management, and loan processing fees.
Yes. This program is a revolving loan fund so homeowners are required to pay the loan principal, administrative fee and interest when they sell or transfer the ownership of the home or when it is no longer their primary residence. While this is a deferred loan program, homeowners can choose to make periodic payments.
Loan Program Reference Documents
Commerce Contact
Gerardo Gonzalez Gomez
Email: Gerardo.GonzalezGomez@Commerce.wa.gov
Phone: 360-764-0076