Home Repair
Making homes safer, more accessible and more sustainable for the people who live in them.
Service Details
A leaking roof, unsafe electrical system or other serious home repair can quickly become a health and safety issue. For homeowners with limited resources, making those repairs may also be difficult to afford.
Central Pines administers home repair and rehabilitation programs that help eligible homeowners address critical conditions, improve accessibility and preserve the homes they already own. Assistance varies by county, household eligibility, repair needs and available funding. Central Pines currently administers several forgivable-loan programs for qualifying homeowners.
The best place to start is with your county and the repair you need. Our housing team can help determine whether a current CPRC program may fit your situation and explain what information you will need to apply.
Services At a Glance
Explore The Details
Program Services & Information
Program Services & Information
Start With the Repair You Need
Different programs address different levels of need. Some focus on an urgent condition that threatens health or safety. Others support more substantial rehabilitation or modifications that can help someone remain safely at home.
Funding is limited and changes by program cycle, so meeting the general eligibility requirements does not guarantee assistance.
Urgent Repairs
A broken heating system, unsafe flooring, failing septic system or another serious condition can make a home unsafe to live in.
The Urgent Repair Program helps eligible lower-income homeowners with special needs address emergency repairs or accessibility modifications that are necessary to protect health and safety or prevent displacement. The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency funds the program through local organizations such as Central Pines.
Central Pines’ current 2026–27 program portfolio includes Urgent Repair work in Chatham, Lee and Wake counties.
Urgent Repair Program Information
Urgent Repair Program Information
Learn more about the statewide program, the kinds of repairs it can support and general eligibility requirements.
Major Home Rehabilitation
Some homes need more than one emergency repair. The Essential Single-Family Rehabilitation Loan Pool, or ESFRLP, supports more substantial rehabilitation of qualifying owner-occupied homes.
The program is designed for lower-income households that include an older adult, person with a disability, veteran or, in certain cases, a young child living in a home with lead hazards. Eligible homes may receive rehabilitation necessary to improve the condition, safety and long-term viability of the property.
Central Pines’ current portfolio identifies ESFRLP programs serving Chatham, Lee and Wake counties.
Essential Home Rehabilitation Resources
Essential Home Rehabilitation Resources
Use the state program page to learn more about how ESFRLP works and the types of households and properties it is designed to serve.
Accessibility Improvements
Home repair is not only about fixing something that is broken. A change in health, mobility or physical ability can make an otherwise familiar home harder or less safe to navigate.
Several home-repair programs can support accessibility modifications when those improvements are necessary for an eligible resident to remain safely at home. The state Urgent Repair Program specifically allows accessibility modifications for qualifying homeowners, while Central Pines’ Choosing Home work also includes accessibility improvements for older adults.
Central Pines’ current portfolio identifies ESFRLP programs serving Chatham, Lee and Wake counties.
Not sure which program fits?
The Central Pines housing team can help identify the program that most closely matches your situation.
Learn More
Learn More
Contact CPRC staff below and tell us:
- The county where you live
- Whether you own and occupy the home
- The repair or accessibility problem you are trying to address
- Any immediate health or safety concern
Find the Right Program for Your Home
Home repair assistance depends on where you live, the condition of your home, household eligibility and current funding. Start with your county, then review the general requirements and next steps.
Find Current Assistance by County
Central Pines currently administers both the Essential Single-Family Rehabilitation Loan Pool and Urgent Repair Program in Chatham, Lee and Wake counties. In Durham County, Central Pines administers the Durham Senior Housing Program for qualifying older homeowners. Funding and application periods can change, so contact the housing team to confirm what is currently available before applying.
| County | Current Central Pines Programs | Start Here |
|---|---|---|
| Chatham | Essential Single-Family Rehabilitation; Urgent Repair | Ask About Chatham Home Repair |
| Lee | Essential Single-Family Rehabilitation; Urgent Repair | Ask About Lee Home Repair |
| Wake | Essential Single-Family Rehabilitation; Urgent Repair | Ask About Wake Home Repair |
| Durham | Senior home repair | Ask About Durham Home Repair |
Not sure which program fits?
Tell our housing team where you live and what needs to be repaired. They can confirm current funding and help identify the right next step.
Live somewhere else?
Central Pines does not administer every home repair program in every county. The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency works with local governments, regional councils and nonprofit organizations throughout the state.
Who May Qualify?
Eligibility varies by program, but Central Pines’ home repair programs generally serve lower-income households that own and occupy their homes and have a qualifying repair or household need.
Depending on the program, priority or eligibility may include households with:
- An adult age 62 or older
- A person with a disability
- A veteran
- A young child living in a home with qualifying lead hazards
- An urgent health or safety condition in the home
Income limits also vary. Essential Single-Family Rehabilitation generally serves households with incomes up to 80% of area median income, while Urgent Repair generally serves households up to 50% of area median income.
Meeting the basic requirements does not guarantee assistance. Staff will confirm current funding, household eligibility and whether the property and requested repairs fit an available program.
How to Get Started
1. Tell Us Where You Live
Program availability depends on the county where the home is located.
2. Describe the Problem
Explain the repair, accessibility issue or unsafe condition that needs attention. Be sure to mention anything that creates an immediate health or safety concern.
3. Confirm Eligibility
Staff will help determine whether a current program may fit and explain the income, ownership and household information needed to apply.
4. Complete the Application
If a program appears to match your situation, Central Pines will guide you through the application and property-review process.
5. Plan Approved Repairs
For approved projects, the program will establish the eligible repair scope and coordinate the required contractor and construction process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers about eligibility, repairs, funding and where to begin.
What kinds of home repairs can these programs address?
What kinds of home repairs can these programs address?
Programs are designed to address serious conditions affecting the safety, accessibility or habitability of a home. Examples can include unsafe electrical, plumbing, roofing, heating, structural or other critical conditions. The exact work that can be approved depends on the program and an assessment of the property. Central Pines’ existing homeowner-assistance materials specifically identify plumbing, electrical systems, roofs and heating systems as common repair needs.
Do I have to own my home?
Do I have to own my home?
The primary rehabilitation programs described here are for owner-occupied homes. Program staff will verify ownership and other property requirements as part of the application process.
Do I have to be 62 or older?
Do I have to be 62 or older?
Not necessarily. Age is one way a household may qualify, but programs can also serve eligible households that include a person with a disability, a veteran or, under certain programs, a young child affected by lead hazards.
Are there income limits?
Are there income limits?
Yes. Income requirements vary by program. Essential Single-Family Rehabilitation generally serves households at or below 80% of area median income, while Urgent Repair generally serves households at or below 50% of area median income.
Is the assistance a grant?
Is the assistance a grant?
Not always. Central Pines administers several programs using forgivable or deferred loan structures, so the form of assistance depends on the specific funding source. Staff will explain the terms before a homeowner accepts assistance.
Can I get help making my home more accessible?
Can I get help making my home more accessible?
Possibly. Accessibility modifications are an eligible use under some repair programs when they are needed to help a qualifying resident remain safely at home.
Does Central Pines offer these programs in every county?
Does Central Pines offer these programs in every county?
No. Funding is awarded by county and program cycle. The current Central Pines portfolio includes major repair programs in Chatham, Lee and Wake counties, along with senior housing-repair work in Durham.
What if my septic system is failing?
What if my septic system is failing?
A failing septic system can qualify as an urgent health and safety repair under some programs. The statewide Urgent Repair Program specifically identifies failing septic systems as an example of an emergency repair need.
Central Pines also maintains information for Chatham County homeowners with septic-system problems, including potential assistance for qualifying properties in the Rocky River Watershed.
What if I need insulation, air sealing or help lowering my energy bill?
What if I need insulation, air sealing or help lowering my energy bill?
Those needs are handled through Weatherization, which we are organizing separately from Home Repair under Prosperous & Sustainable Region, a regional priority for CPRC.
How do I know whether funding is available right now?
How do I know whether funding is available right now?
Contact the Central Pines housing team. Repair programs operate in funding cycles, so the team can confirm what is currently accepting applicants in your county before you spend time completing an application.
Resources & Guides
Explore guides, program information and other resources that can help homeowners understand repair assistance, eligibility and options for maintaining a safe home.
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Central Pines Regional Council Awarded $10.7 Million to Lead Regional Weatherization Expansion
Overseeing energy efficiency improvements for 912 single-family homes through 2029, the initiative helps low-income residents lower utility costs, enhances home safety, and creates local clean energy workforce opportunities.
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Central Pines Regional Council Awarded $1.58 Million to Expand Lead-Safe Housing Across the Region
Central Pines Regional Council received a $1.58 million HUD grant to expand its Lead Safe Triangle Program. The funding will support lead hazard controls and abatement in about 45–50 owner-occupied homes, prioritizing households with children under six.
Connect With Our Home Repair Team
Not sure which program applies to your home? Tell us where you live and what needs to be repaired. We can help determine whether a current Central Pines program may fit your situation.
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Jack Watson
Housing Planner
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Hunter Fillers
Housing Program Manager
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Gherian Foster
Housing Specialist
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Ashley Price
Area Agency on Aging Assistant Director
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