Critical Home Repair

The Critical Home Repair Program offers home repairs and improvements necessary for restoring and maintaining safe living conditions and home values.  This program is applicable for veterans, seniors, and those with a disability, or family circumstances who struggle to maintain the integrity of their homes. The program emphasizes support of aging people so their home can be made accessible.  The initiative provides home repairs to prevent homeowners from suffering injury and falls, accidents or moving out of their home.  Projects include interior or exterior work performed to alleviate critical health, life and safety issues or code violations, including a change to or repair of materials or components; a reconfiguration of space; a modification for accessibility and interior modifications; installation or extension of plumbing, mechanical or electrical systems on an existing structure.  Volunteer teams, along with subcontractors, work under the direction of Habitat staff to complete the repairs.

• Are you living in challenging circumstances, which have created issues that are beyond what you can handle on your own?
• Are you struggling to keep your home in livable condition?
• Have you had to choose between paying for home repairs and food, medication, taxes, and basic utilities?
• Are you facing city code violations or homeowner insurance cancellation due to the condition of your home?

Once a homeowner’s eligibility is determined and their application is accepted, Habitat for Humanity of McHenry County’s Critical Home Repair Coordinator determines what source of funding is available to complete the work and when an assessment of the home will occur. We will keep you up to date on what stage your application is in, but please be mindful that it can take six months to a year before projects may begin. The program is not designed to provide immediate emergency fixes.  While we aim to address critical repairs, it operates on a scheduled basis, prioritizing projects based on urgency, health, safety, accessibility and available resources. 

If you are in need of urgent repairs that pose an immediate threat to the health, safety, or accessibility of your home, it is recommended to seek alternative resources for emergency assistance. Dialing 2-1-1 in McHenry County will connect you to a call center that will direct you to an appropriate social service agency or nonprofit.

Homeowner eligibility:

• Must own the property and be living in the home. 
• Scope of work must match program resources.
• Any mortgage on the home must be current.
• Property taxes must be current.
• Homeowner’s insurance must be in force.
• Homeowners are expected to be cooperative partners with staff and volunteers.
• Household income must be below 80% of the McHenry County Area Median Income.