Home Improvement Grants in Cortland.

Find grants, rebates, forgivable loans, and free programs for Cortland, NY, filtered to your situation.

As of June 2026, 22 home improvement grant, rebate, and forgivable loan programs are open to homeowners in Cortland, NY, with individual awards up to $500,000. 5 programs target seniors, 4 serve veterans, and 11 require no income limit.

Data last verified 2026-06-09. How we verify our data.

Types of help in this city

Funding typeProgramsRepaid?Best for
Grants18Never repaidIncome-qualified homeowners
Forgivable loans1Forgiven after a residency periodLarger repairs with no money down
Rebates2Refunded to you after purchaseEnergy-efficiency upgrades

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Showing 22 programs
Varies, no individual cap; projects typically $10K-$200K+

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)

HMGP provides funding after a presidentially declared disaster to help communities reduce future disaster losses. Homeow...

Disaster
Up to $30,000

FEMA Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) Coverage

ICC coverage is built into every National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy and pays up to $30,000 to help bring a s...

Disaster
Varies by jurisdiction, typically $5,000-$15,000 per unit

HUD Lead Hazard Control & Healthy Homes

HUD funds state, county, and city governments to identify and fix lead-based paint hazards and other health hazards (mol...

Seniors & Disability
Varies, full line replacement cost covered in many programs

EPA / WIIN Act Lead Service Line Replacement

EPA's WIIN Act grants and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) fund lead service line replacement programs in...

Seniors & Disability
Up to $8,000 in weatherization improvements

New York Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

Federally funded weatherization program administered by New York State providing free energy efficiency improvements to ...

Weatherization
Up to $4,000 in rebates + free assessment

NYSEG Home Energy Assessment & Rebates

NYSEG customers receive a free home energy assessment and are eligible for rebates on approved energy efficiency improve...

Energy
Up to $2,000 per heat pump

NYSEG Heat Pump Rebate Program

NYSEG offers rebates for installation of qualifying air-source or ground-source heat pumps in existing homes. Rebate amo...

Energy
Up to $12,000 in free improvements

NYSERDA EmPower+ Program

EmPower+ provides comprehensive no-cost energy efficiency improvements for income-eligible New York households. Includes...

Weatherization
Free lead hazard remediation

New York State Lead Hazard Control Program

State-funded program to eliminate lead paint hazards in homes built before 1978 where children under age 6 reside. Servi...

Home Repair
Up to $10,000 grant (age 62+) and $40,000 loan, $50,000 combined

USDA Section 504 Home Repair Program

USDA program offering low-interest loans and grants to very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas to repair or i...

Home Repair
Up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA), FY2026

VA Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant

VA grant for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities to adapt or purchase a home to meet their needs. Cover...

Veterans
Up to $25,350 (SHA), FY2026

VA Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) Grant

VA grant for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities to make accessibility adaptations to a family member's...

Veterans
Up to $30,000 forgivable loan

Cortland County HOME Program

HUD HOME Investment Partnership funds administered by Cortland County for owner-occupied home rehabilitation. Forgivable...

Home Repair
Up to $5,000 grant

Cortland Senior Home Modification Program

County-funded program providing grants for home accessibility modifications to help seniors age in place safely. Covers ...

Seniors & Disability
Up to $5,000 in incentives

NY-Sun Solar Incentive Program

NY-Sun program provides per-watt incentives for residential solar installations in New York State. Incentive amounts var...

Solar/Renewable
Up to $500,000 grant

New York Restore NY Program

State competitive grant program for residential and mixed-use property rehabilitation in municipalities throughout New Y...

Historic
5% to 50% property tax reduction

Cortland County Senior Citizens Tax Exemption

New York State property tax exemption for homeowners age 65 and older who meet income requirements. Reduces assessed hom...

Property Tax Relief
Up to $1,000+ annual tax savings

Enhanced STAR Property Tax Exemption

Enhanced School Tax Relief program for New York homeowners age 65 and older with incomes below $98,700. Provides propert...

Property Tax Relief
Tax credit up to $50,000

New York Historic Homeownership Rehabilitation Credit

New York State tax credit equal to 20% of qualified rehabilitation expenses for owner-occupied homes listed on the Natio...

Historic
Up to 100% property tax exemption

NYS Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption

Property tax exemption for disabled veterans and their family members. Exemption percentage varies by disability rating ...

Veterans
15% to 45% exemption on assessed value

NYS Alternative Veterans Property Tax Exemption

Alternative property tax exemption for veterans who served during wartime. Provides 15% exemption for veterans, 25% for ...

Veterans
Up to 50% property tax reduction

Cortland County Low-Income Property Tax Exemption

Property tax exemption for very-low-income homeowners in Cortland County. Provides sliding scale reduction of assessed h...

Property Tax Relief

Stack programs to maximize your savings

Many of these programs can be combined. For example, you can use a city repair grant for the work, a utility rebate for the energy savings, and a federal tax credit on top, all for the same project.

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Grant-Approved Contractors in Cortland

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Frequently asked questions

What home improvement grants are available in Cortland, NY?

22 programs are currently listed for Cortland, including FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), FEMA Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) Coverage, HUD Lead Hazard Control & Healthy Homes.

Do home improvement grants in Cortland have to be repaid?

Grants do not have to be repaid. Forgivable loans are forgiven over a residency period, and rebates refund your money after the purchase. In Cortland, 18 programs do not require repayment, 1 is forgivable loan, and 2 are rebates.

How do I apply for home repair grants in Cortland?

Every program listing carries the official application link and phone number for the administering agency. Homeowners apply directly with that agency; there is no middleman and no fee.