Home Improvement Grants in Santa Cruz.

Find grants, rebates, forgivable loans, and free programs for Santa Cruz, CA, filtered to your situation.

As of June 2026, 26 home improvement grant, rebate, and forgivable loan programs are open to homeowners in Santa Cruz, CA, with individual awards up to $126,526. 6 programs target seniors, 2 serve veterans, and 13 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
Grants16Never repaidIncome-qualified homeowners
Forgivable loans2Forgiven after a residency periodLarger repairs with no money down
Rebates4Refunded to you after purchaseEnergy-efficiency upgrades

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Showing 26 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 services

California Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

Federally funded program providing free energy efficiency improvements to income-eligible households in Santa Cruz Count...

Weatherization
Deferred loan up to $50,000

Santa Cruz Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program

Provides deferred, zero-interest loans to low-income homeowners in Santa Cruz city limits for major home repairs and cod...

Home Repair
Grant up to $10,000

Santa Cruz Emergency Home Repair Grant

Grant program for very low-income Santa Cruz homeowners facing urgent health and safety repairs. Covers emergency situat...

Emergency
Deferred loan up to $25,000

Santa Cruz ADA Home Modification Program

Zero-interest deferred loan for accessibility modifications in Santa Cruz homes occupied by disabled or senior residents...

Seniors & Disability
Free lead hazard removal

Santa Cruz County Lead Hazard Control Program

HUD-funded program providing free lead-based paint hazard evaluation and remediation for Santa Cruz County homes built b...

Home Repair
Up to $500 grant

PG&E REACH Program

Relief for Energy Assistance through Community Help (REACH) provides one-time grants to income-qualified PG&E customers ...

Energy
Rebates up to $8,500

PG&E Energy Upgrade California

Comprehensive whole-home energy efficiency rebate program for PG&E customers. Incentives for HVAC upgrades, insulation, ...

Weatherization
Rebate up to $5,200

PG&E Heat Pump Water Heater Rebate

Rebate for replacing electric or gas water heaters with ENERGY STAR certified heat pump water heaters. Higher rebates av...

Weatherization
Rebate up to $3,000

Central Coast Community Energy Heat Pump Rebate

Rebate for residential heat pump HVAC systems for 3CE customers in Santa Cruz. Incentive reduces upfront cost of switchi...

Weatherization
Rebate up to $1,000

3CE Electric Vehicle Charger Rebate

Rebate for installation of Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations at single-family homes in 3CE service territory. C...

Weatherization
Rebate up to $3,500

3CE Solar and Battery Storage Incentive

Incentive for battery energy storage systems paired with solar panels for 3CE customers. Helps reduce reliance on grid d...

Solar/Renewable
Low-interest loan up to $15,000

CalHFA Dream Maker Home Improvement Loan

Low-interest home improvement loan for California homeowners to make repairs, accessibility modifications, or energy-eff...

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

USDA Section 504 Home Repair Grant

Grant for very low-income homeowners age 62 or older in eligible rural areas of Santa Cruz County to remove health and s...

Seniors & Disability
Up to $10,000 grant (age 62+) and $40,000 loan, $50,000 combined

USDA Section 504 Home Repair Loan

Very low-interest loan (1% fixed) for very low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas of Santa Cruz County to repair,...

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

VA Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant

Grant for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities to adapt or purchase a home to accommodate their disabili...

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

VA Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) Grant

Grant for veterans with certain service-connected disabilities to make adaptations to a family member's home in which th...

Veterans
Forgivable loan up to $75,000

Santa Cruz County HOME Investment Partnership

Federal HOME funds for major rehabilitation of owner-occupied homes in unincorporated Santa Cruz County. Zero-interest f...

Home Repair
Grant up to $5,000

Santa Cruz County Senior Home Repair Grant

Grant for homeowners age 60 and over in Santa Cruz County for minor home repairs and safety modifications. Helps seniors...

Seniors & Disability
Grant up to $10,000

Santa Cruz Sewer Lateral Grant Program

Cost-share grant to help Santa Cruz homeowners repair or replace failing private sewer laterals. City reimburses 50% of ...

Home Repair
Grant up to $3,000

Santa Cruz Earthquake Retrofit Program

Grant for homeowners in Santa Cruz County to seismically retrofit wood-frame houses built before 1980. Helps strengthen ...

Disaster
Financing varies by project

CaliforniaFIRST PACE Financing

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation improvem...

Solar/Renewable
30% tax credit

Federal Residential Solar Tax Credit (ITC)

Federal investment tax credit covering 30% of the cost of installing residential solar panels and battery storage system...

Solar/Renewable

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 Santa Cruz

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Frequently asked questions

What home improvement grants are available in Santa Cruz, CA?

26 programs are currently listed for Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz, 16 programs do not require repayment, 2 are forgivable loans, and 4 are rebates.

How do I apply for home repair grants in Santa Cruz?

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.