Pinellas increases home repair program to $75K with forgivable loan

To help locals stay in their homes and maintain their property, Pinellas County has revised its state-funded Home Repair Program by increasing financial help up to $75,000 for critical needs like roofs, windows and AC replacements.

This vital support now comes in the form of a fully forgivable loan. That means homeowners planning to sustain roots in Pinellas will not be required to pay back the loan nor make any monthly payments as long as the home is their primary residence.

The updated program approved by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation is designed to preserve existing homes and help low-income homeowners struggling with the high cost of maintenance, homeowners insurance and major home repairs.  

The County also recently increased its Independent Living Grant to add accessibility improvements like wheelchair ramps or grab bars, with up $20,000.  

Homeowners who make up to $53,500 or less a year as an individual ($76,400 for a family of four) can qualify for both programs to make improvements to their primary residence.  

The programs are available for homes in unincorporated Pinellas and most cities, except for Belleair Shore, Largo, Clearwater and St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Largo have similar loan forgiveness programs for home repairs and many Tampa Bay counties and cities offer other programs to help low to moderate income homeowners make critical repairs.   

Pinellas County’s program is fully funded through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program (SHIP), which supports affordable housing and homeownership efforts by local governments across Florida.

The new maximum assistance, deferred payment and loan forgiveness went into effect this month as part of an update to the County’s Local Housing Assistance Plan approved by the Board of County Commissioners and the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. 

Program details and an online application is available online at: pinellas.gov/homerepair.

Eligible improvements

Qualifying applicants can apply to one or both of the following programs for a total of $75,000:

Home Repair Loan Program (Fully forgivable loan up $75,000)

•Roof – including soffit/fascia

•Windows and exterior doors

•Air conditioning/heating

•Housing Code related electrical upgrades

Independent Living Program (Accessibility Grant up to $20,000)

•Wheelchair ramps

•Railing

•Bathroom grab bars

•Tub to shower conversions

•Walk-in or roll-in showers

•ADA-approved toilets

•Door widening

•Other improvements to promote barrier-free housing

To qualify for either program, the applicant’s home cannot exceed an assessed value of $375,000 based on valuation of the Pinellas County Property Appraiser.