Many of you recognize the value of home modifications, but you are not certain how to begin the process of renovating your home for accessibility. This resource was developed to help you understand how to pay for home modifications in North Dakota and South Dakota, as well as describe some of the challenges you may encounter as you search for businesses or organizations to renovate your home for you.
Please be aware that this resource is focused on individuals who own their home. Renters have to work with their landlord to have their home renovated for accessibility. In addition, renters may be expected to pay for the cost of renovations themselves, including renovations to return the rental property to it previous condition once the renter moves out.
It is also important to understand that North Dakota and South Dakota are rural states. People living in rural areas face unique challenges accessing home modification renovations (including availability of materials and supplies). Some communities simply have no one available who provides accessibility renovations. Prior to finding financing for home modification, it is important to check your local area for qualified professionals who do accessibility renovations. The following is a list of trainings or certifications a home modification professional might have:
- Certified Environmental Access Consultants (abbreviated as CEAC)
- Certified Aging in Place Specialist (abbreviated as CAPS)
- Executive Certificate in Home Modification Program (University of Southern California)
- Senior Home Safety Specialist (Age Safe America)
- Certified Home Assessment and Modification Professional (abbreviated as CHAMPS)
How to finance home modification?
The first step is to review your personal financial situation to see if you might qualify for private financing options. You will need to work with a banking or financial professional to understand which financing options might be a good fit for your situation. For example, a homeowner without any heirs might find a reverse mortgage to be a good option to cover expenses associated with home modification. Below you will find examples of options you can discuss with a banking or financial professional.
- Home equity line of credit.
- Home equity loan.
- Lender unsecured/personal loans.
- Mortgage refinancing.
- Remodeler referred financing.
- Reverse equity mortgage
- Secured loan against homeowner’s bank account.
- Secured loan against homeowner’s financial investment accounts.
- Personal savings.
In addition to speaking to a financial or banking professional, it may be helpful to talk to your insurance agent. Some policies (health, long-term care, or life) might offer options for covering expenses associated with home modification.
What do I do if I cannot get private financing?
If you find that you are unable to get financing or insurance coverage for home modification, you can look into government or non-profit agencies that offer loans, grants, and other programs. Many of these programs have eligibility criteria that applicants must meet. You will need to reach out to each program individually to learn more.
The good news is that there are services available in North Dakota and South Dakota to help you find government and non-profit organizations who fund or provide home modifications. These organizations oversee databases that allow home modification funders and providers to list themselves. Please be aware these databases require funders and providers to voluntarily list themselves. As a result, these databases may not list all providers or funders available in your state.
Available Databases
South Dakota
Helpline Center
Helpline Center’s 211 program offers free resource navigation services for South Dakota residents. You can contact a trained specialist by phone, text, or email to learn more about non-profit and government programs that provide or fund home modifications. You can contact Helpline Center by phone (dial 211), text (send a text to 898211), or by email at help@helplinecenter.org. You can also search their online database on their website.
Dakota at Home
Dakota at Home is run by the South Dakota Department of Human Services. You can contact them by phone to check your eligibility for home modification funding. You can also check their online database to see if they list providers or funding options beyond what is offered by the Department of Human Services. You can contact Dakota at Home by phone (dial 1-833-663-9673) or by email at dakotaathome@state.sd.us.
North Dakota
North Dakota Aging and Disability Link
The North Dakota Aging and Disability Link (abbreviated as ND ADRL) is run by the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. You can contact them by phone for home modification resources. You can also check their online database to see if they list funding options beyond what is offered by the Department of Health and Human Services. When you search the database, please use the search term "Home Improvement/Accessibility" to find home modification providers. You can contact ND ADRL by phone (dial 1-855-462-5465), by email at CareChoice@ND.gov, or by using the contact form on their website.
National Directory
HomeMods.org
HomeMods.org is a service of the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence, a project of the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. This website includes a directory that provides home modification and repair resources (such as funding sources, local providers, and educational materials) for each state. You can access these resources by visiting the state pages in the National Directory on the HomeMods.org website.
How do I get my organization or agency added to databases?
It is important for businesses and organizations involved with home modifications to add themselves to the databases discussed on this page. By doing this, you can make it easier for consumers to find you. Below you will find information about how to add a business or organization to existing databases.
- North Dakota Aging and Disability Resource Link
Contact ND ADRL intake staff by calling 1-855-462-5465 to add your business or organization to the ND ADRL database. - South Dakota: Helpline Center
To have your business or organization included in the Helpline Center’s database, please complete the intake form on their website. - South Dakota: Dakota at Home
To have your business or organization included in the Dakota at Home database, please review the inclusion/exclusion criteria and complete the intake form on their website. - National Directory
If you would like your business or organization to be added to HomeMods.org, please complete their online form, or send an email to homemods@usc.edu.
Voices for Home Modification
Through the Voices for Home Modification of the Dakotas project, we seek to increase the visibility of home modification resources in North Dakota and South Dakota.
