Find grants, rebates, forgivable loans, and free programs for Milwaukee, WI, filtered to your situation.
As of June 2026, 51 home improvement grant, rebate, and forgivable loan programs are open to homeowners in Milwaukee, WI, with individual awards up to $200,000. 10 programs target seniors, 7 serve veterans, and 26 require no income limit.
Data last verified 2026-04-01. How we verify our data.
| Funding type | Programs | Repaid? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grants | 26 | Never repaid | Income-qualified homeowners |
| Forgivable loans | 8 | Forgiven after a residency period | Larger repairs with no money down |
| Rebates | 4 | Refunded to you after purchase | Energy-efficiency upgrades |
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Partially forgivable loans for owner-occupants of 1-4 family properties citywide. Covers emergency and essential home re...
For homeowners in Milwaukee's Targeted Investment Neighborhoods (6-12 block focus areas). Combines a 0% interest payback...
Down payment and closing cost assistance for homebuyers purchasing in a Targeted Investment Neighborhood. $7,000 if in t...
Free professional repairs for income-qualified homeowners in Milwaukee's 18 NSP/CDBG areas. Covers code violations, lead...
Forgivable second mortgage for buyers rehabilitating City-owned foreclosed homes. No income limit. 0% interest, forgiven...
Forgivable down payment and closing cost grant for first-time homebuyers (not owned in last 3 years). $5,000 anywhere in...
0% interest deferred or repayment loans for owner-occupants of 1-4 unit properties. Covers structural, mechanical, healt...
0% interest, deferred-payment loans for homeowners with code violations from flood damage. Repaid only upon sale or tran...
Match grants for community groups, leaders, and organizations for neighborhood beautification projects. First $1,000 req...
Reimbursable 50% matching grant for homeowners in VIA's service neighborhoods (Silver City, Burnham Park, Layton Park, C...
Dollar-for-dollar matching grants up to $1,000 for homeowners in the Near West Side neighborhood. All income levels welc...
Affordable home repairs for income-eligible homeowners. Covers roofs, electrical, plumbing, and more. Up to 80% of proje...
Free critical home repairs for low-income seniors (60+), veterans, and people with disabilities who have lived in their ...
CDFI mortgage lender for families locked out of traditional lending. Purchase + rehab loans up to $200,000 with no minim...
No-interest loans for City of Milwaukee homeowners age 62+ who meet income guidelines. Covers roofing, gutters, siding, ...
Zero-interest loans for owner-occupied homes in Milwaukee County suburbs (excludes City of Milwaukee, City of West Allis...
Milwaukee County lead remediation for up to 200 low-income homes in suburban Milwaukee County (not City of Milwaukee). R...
Wisconsin's IRA Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) are open to all homeowners with rebate amounts based on income. Up to $1...
Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) for low- and moderate-income Wisconsin residents. Below 80% AMI: 100% ...
Rebates on ENERGY STAR appliances, HVAC equipment, insulation, smart thermostats, and lighting. Free weatherization prod...
City of Milwaukee's federally funded program for low-interest energy efficiency loans. Up to $15,000 at 4.5-5.25% intere...
Low-interest loans for solar panel installation on Milwaukee homes. Up to $25,000, up to 15 years, interest at Prime + 1...
Federally funded energy assistance pays heating and cooling bills for households at or below 60% of Wisconsin's state me...
Free insulation, air sealing, energy-efficient lighting, water heater wrapping, and heating system repair or replacement...
WHEDA statewide loan program for homes 40+ years old. Low-interest loans from $5,000 to $50,000. Must meet WHEDA income ...
Annual loans equal to property taxes owed for Wisconsin homeowners age 65+ (or any-age qualifying veterans) with househo...
Wisconsin tax credit reimbursing up to 80% of property taxes paid for low-income households. Income under $24,680 (2025 ...
For veterans with permanent, total service-connected disability (loss of limbs, blindness in both eyes, severe burns). B...
For veterans with service-connected disabilities affecting both hands, certain respiratory conditions, or loss of vision...
Most accessible VA home grant, applies to any veteran receiving VA healthcare. Service-connected disability: up to $6,80...
Free service for Milwaukee veterans and dependents. County Veterans Service Officers help navigate VA disability claims,...
Loans and grants for very-low-income rural homeowners. Loans up to $40,000; grants up to $10,000 (age 62+ who cannot rep...
FHA-insured improvement loans through private lenders. No equity required for amounts up to $7,500 (signature only). Up ...
Finance home purchase plus renovation in one FHA mortgage. Limited 203(k): up to $75,000 for non-structural repairs. Sta...
Section 8(y) Homeownership Program allows Housing Choice Voucher holders to use their voucher toward mortgage payments i...
Free home energy assessments for Milwaukee County and Waukesha County residents. Assessment identifies energy savings op...
State income tax credit for rehabilitation of certified historic structures. 20% for income-producing properties; 25% fo...
Free IRS-certified tax preparation at multiple Milwaukee locations. Ensures you claim Wisconsin Homestead Credit, EITC, ...
HMGP provides funding after a presidentially declared disaster to help communities reduce future disaster losses. Homeow...
ICC coverage is built into every National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy and pays up to $30,000 to help bring a s...
HUD funds state, county, and city governments to identify and fix lead-based paint hazards and other health hazards (mol...
EPA's WIIN Act grants and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) fund lead service line replacement programs in...
HUD's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program provides annual funding to cities, counties, and states to fund l...
The American Red Cross installs free smoke alarms and creates home fire escape plans through their nationwide Home Fire ...
Rebuilding Together's Safe at Home program provides free preventive home modifications to help older adults and people w...
EPA provides State and Tribal Indoor Radon Grants (SIRG) to every state to fund radon risk reduction programs. While the...
NeighborWorks America supports a network of nearly 250 local nonprofit housing organizations across every state, DC, and...
Owners of historic homes may access funding through their State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which distributes H...
The Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program provides HUD-guaranteed mortgage financing for American Indian and Al...
The Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program provides rental assistance to eligible low-income families, seniors, and ...
The Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board oversees WIOA-funded services through Wisconsin Job Centers in Milwaukee C...
Transform Milwaukee connects city residents,particularly those with barriers to employment,to job training, apprenticesh...
Wisconsin Shares helps low-income working families pay for child care. Parents choose from YoungStar-certified child car...
Milwaukee's Social Development Commission provides Head Start and Early Head Start services to families throughout Milwa...
The SBA Wisconsin District Office in Milwaukee serves small businesses throughout Wisconsin. Programs include SBA Microl...
The City of Milwaukee Department of City Development administers CDBG-funded small business revolving loan funds and bus...
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.
Pick a project to see how much funding could stack on it from multiple programs in this city.
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51 programs are currently listed for Milwaukee, including STRONG Homes Loan Program, TIN Home Rehabilitation Loan, TIN Down Payment Grant.
Grants do not have to be repaid. Forgivable loans are forgiven over a residency period, and rebates refund your money after the purchase. In Milwaukee, 26 programs do not require repayment, 8 are forgivable loans, and 4 are rebates.
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.