Philadelphia Home Repair Aid: A Guide to the City's Assistance Programs

Philadelphia's Home Repair Safety Net

The Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC), working with the city's Division of Housing and Community Development and a network of nonprofit partners, runs a suite of home repair programs aimed at keeping low-income homeowners in their houses and preventing displacement. Every program requires applicants to meet income guidelines and to own and occupy the property as a primary residence.

These programs have served Philadelphia homeowners since 1965, with funding from the city, state, and federal government, and with more recent support from Pennsylvania's Whole-Home Repairs Act.

The Core Programs

Basic Systems Repair Program (BSRP) is the most-used entry point. It covers electrical, plumbing, heating, structural, and roofing repairs for low-income Philadelphia homeowners. BSRP is a grant, not a loan, and addresses emergency systems failures such as a failed furnace or a leaking roof.

Adaptive Modifications Program (AMP) helps low-income homeowners and renters with permanent physical disabilities make accessibility modifications to their homes. AMP funds ramps, stair lifts, roll-in showers, widened doorways, and other retrofits that let residents age or recover in place.

Senior Housing Assistance Repair Program (SHARP) is administered by the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging and focuses on smaller repairs and modifications for homeowners age 60 and older. It often covers fall-prevention upgrades such as grab bars, railings, and accessible bathroom fixtures.

Weatherization Assistance is delivered by the Energy Coordinating Agency. The program insulates attics, seals air leaks, tunes up heating systems, and addresses health and safety issues that affect energy use. Residents can reach the agency at 215-609-1076 or through ecasavesenergy.org.

The Newer Programs

Whole-Home Repair Fund (WHR) is part of Pennsylvania's state-level Whole-Home Repairs Act, championed by State Senator Nikil Saval. It provides additional funding that flows through PHDC's existing programs to cover larger whole-home scopes that BSRP alone could not reach, including combined roofing, structural, electrical, plumbing, and energy work.

Built to Last, coordinated by the Philadelphia Energy Authority, simplifies the process for low-income homeowners by bundling multiple funding streams behind a single intake. A Built to Last project typically combines BSRP repairs, weatherization, solar where feasible, and health and safety work into one coordinated scope of work.

Who Qualifies

Each program has its own income limits and documentation requirements, but most use 80% of area median income (AMI) or lower as the threshold, with priority for households at 50% AMI and below. Homeowners must be current or on a payment plan for property taxes and water, and the property must be free of serious code violations that are not being addressed by the scope of work.

How to Apply

Homeowners can start with PHDC's home repair intake at phdcphila.org, or call the agency for help determining which program best fits their situation. Seniors should ask specifically about SHARP and Built to Last. Residents with disabilities should ask about AMP. And anyone facing a heating or roofing emergency should ask about BSRP's emergency track, which can move faster than the standard queue.