Homeowners across Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley are getting long-awaited news: Lehigh and Northampton counties have identified the households receiving grants under the state's Whole-Home Repairs Program. After historic demand forced both counties to close their application portals within days of opening, officials have worked through the waitlists to confirm the homeowners who will see real money spent on their roofs, furnaces, plumbing, and accessibility upgrades.

What the Program Delivers

The Whole-Home Repairs Program is a state-funded initiative distributed through county governments using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. Qualified homeowners can receive up to $20,000 per unit to address habitability and safety concerns, improve energy or water efficiency, and make homes accessible for residents with disabilities. Eligible work includes roof replacement, electrical rewiring, plumbing repairs, heating system replacement, lead remediation, mold abatement, and ramps or other accessibility modifications.

The grants are exactly that — grants. Homeowners are not expected to repay the funds as long as they continue to live in the property and meet basic program terms.

How Much Came to the Lehigh Valley

Lehigh County received roughly $2.7 million for its program, while Northampton County received about $2.3 million. Lehigh County opened enrollment on May 19, 2023, and demand was so overwhelming that the application window closed within a matter of days. In total, about 60 Lehigh County homeowners were selected for funding. Northampton County began taking applications later in 2023 and has worked through its own list of roughly 100 eligible households, with grants averaging closer to $15,000 because the county opted to stretch funds further across more homes.

Who Qualified

To be selected, homeowners had to meet a few key requirements:

Own and live in the home as their primary residence
Have a household income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (roughly $72,480 for a family of four in 2023)
Have the home located in Lehigh or Northampton County
Identify repairs that impact safety, habitability, accessibility, or efficiency

Priority went to seniors, households with children, homeowners with disabilities, and properties with urgent life-safety issues such as failing heating systems, leaking roofs, or unsafe electrical wiring.

What Winners Can Expect Next

Selected homeowners are being matched with vetted contractors through each county's qualified-contractor pool. Northampton County specifically built out a worker-training component funded with $450,000 to make sure local tradespeople could handle the work. Projects are scheduled in waves, with life-safety repairs prioritized first. Homeowners should expect a site inspection, a written scope of work, and a signed agreement before any construction begins.

What It Means for Homeowners Who Missed Out

If you applied but were not selected, your information remains on file and will be considered if a selected homeowner drops out or if additional state or federal funds are released. Pennsylvania lawmakers have repeatedly attempted to refund the program in annual budgets, and while the 2025-2026 state budget did not include a renewal, advocates continue pushing for it.

In the meantime, Lehigh Valley homeowners have other options worth exploring:

LIHEAP Crisis Program for emergency heating repairs and replacement
Weatherization Assistance Program through Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley
USDA Section 504 Home Repair grants and loans for rural properties
Habitat for Humanity Lehigh Valley critical home repair program
Rebuilding Together Lehigh Valley free repairs for qualifying seniors and veterans

The Bottom Line

The Whole-Home Repairs grant winners in Lehigh and Northampton counties represent exactly the kind of targeted help that keeps working families in their homes — not flashy new construction, but the unglamorous roofs, boilers, and wiring jobs that determine whether a house stays livable. For the homeowners selected, the next 12 to 18 months will bring contractors, dust, and ultimately a safer, warmer, more efficient home. For everyone else in the Lehigh Valley, the program is proof that home repair assistance exists — and worth watching closely if Pennsylvania reopens funding.

Lehigh and Northampton County Whole-Home Repair Grant Winners Revealed