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Free Home Repairs in San Antonio (2026): City Programs, Nonprofits & Who Qualifies

Free Home Repairs in San Antonio (2026): City Programs, Nonprofits & Who Qualifies

A roof that leaks, a heater that quit, plumbing that floods the bathroom — if you own your home and the repair bill is bigger than your savings, San Antonio has real programs that can fix it. Some repairs are done at no cost by nonprofits. The City’s help comes as 0% interest loans that are forgiven while you live in your home. Applying is always free. Here is every major option, checked against the City, CPS Energy, AACOG and the nonprofits’ own pages on October 25, 2026.

Damaged in the August 28 storm? Start here

The City’s home repair page now lists an Emergency Weather Home Repair Program for homeowners affected by the severe weather event on August 28, 2026. If your home was damaged in that storm, ask about this program first when you call the City’s repair line at 210-207-6459 — it sits alongside the regular programs below on the City’s Home Repair & Lead Remediation page.

The City of San Antonio’s home repair programs

The Neighborhood & Housing Services Department (NHSD) runs the City’s repair programs for low-to-moderate income homeowners. Most share the same basic rules:

  • You own and live in a single-family home in San Antonio (Council Districts 1–10), and it has a current homestead exemption.
  • Your household income is at or below 80% of Area Median Income — for 2026, that is $56,350 for one person or $80,500 for a family of four.
  • You are current on your property taxes and mortgage. Reverse mortgages do not qualify.
  • You have clear title — liens or judgments under $5,000 total may still be okay.
  • You can show proof of homeowners insurance.

One starting point covers all of them: submit the City’s Home Rehab Loan Interest Form from the program pages, or call 210-207-6459 to verify your council district and ask which program fits. There are no walk-in appointments — if you meet the first checks, the City sends you a link to schedule.

Minor Repair Loan — for smaller jobs under $25,000

For smaller health, safety and accessibility fixes under $25,000: accessible bathrooms, ramps, plumbing, electrical work, non-working utilities, broken windows and damaged doors. It is a 0% interest forgivable loan — the City pays your chosen contractor directly, you make no payments while you live in the home, and the balance is forgiven over time as long as you stay and follow the program rules. Details: sa.gov — Minor Repair Loan (listed as Program Open).

Major Rehab Forgivable Loan — for homes that need systems fixed

For bigger problems across two or more home systems — electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, foundation and structural work, windows and doors. The City’s current info packet caps major rehab assistance at $130,000 and full reconstruction at $145,000, again as a 0% forgivable loan with no payments while you live there. The forgiveness term depends on the amount: 10 years up to $50,000, 15 years above that, and 20 years for reconstruction.

Be ready for the hard part: you must move out during construction, which usually takes 4–8 months. The City provides a portable storage container and a small moving allowance, but it does not pay rent or relocation costs — those are on you. A lien (Deed of Trust and Restrictive Covenant) is filed on the home, and if you sell, move out or rent the home during the term, the remaining balance comes due. Finished work carries a one-year warranty. Details: sa.gov — Major Rehab Forgivable Loan (listed as Program Open).

Under 1 Roof: a cool roof that cuts your cooling bill

This program replaces worn roofs with energy-saving white shingles as a 0% forgivable loan. There are two ways in: you live in a designated Urban Heat Island (high-heat) neighborhood, or your household income is at or below 80% of Area Median Income even if you live outside those areas. Call 210-207-6459 to check your address. Two honest warnings: this is not an emergency roof program, and processing can take up to about 3 months.

Green & Healthy Homes SA — lead paint help

If your home was built before 1978 and a child age 5 or younger lives there or visits regularly, or someone in the home is pregnant, this program removes lead paint hazards and other healthy-home dangers. It covers homes families own, and rental properties where the owner takes part. Call 210-207-4444 for help.

Free weatherization: a warmer home and lower bills

AACOG Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

The Alamo Area Council of Governments weatherizes homes at no cost: insulation, air sealing, duct sealing, heating and cooling tune-ups or replacement, efficient lighting, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Renters can qualify too, with the landlord’s approval. Priority goes to seniors, people with disabilities, and families with young children. One limit to know: WAP handles energy work, not major roof, plumbing or foundation repairs — pair it with a City program above if your home needs both. Intake: 210-362-5282 · wap@aacog.com. We keep a full guide here: free home weatherization in San Antonio.

CPS Energy Casa Verde — rebate program

Casa Verde now works as a rebate. You pick a registered Trade Ally contractor, they assess your home and do eligible upgrades — insulation, air sealing, duct sealing, AC tune-ups, solar screens, LED lighting and more — and CPS Energy rebates the cost. You can assign the rebate to the contractor up front to cut or erase your out-of-pocket cost. Homeowners and renters qualify by income (a family of four under $5,550 gross per month in 2026), by high energy burden (10% or more of income), or by receiving other income-based help. Call 210-353-2272 (CASA). If the bill itself is the emergency, see our winter utility help guide too.

Nonprofits that repair homes at no cost

  • Merced Housing Texas — Serve Our Seniors (SOS). Free health-and-safety repairs — gas leaks, faulty wiring, broken plumbing, damaged roofs and walls — for extremely low-income senior and disabled homeowners who own their homes and cannot afford to keep them safe. Repairs are made at no cost to the homeowner. Start at mercedhousingtexas.org. Demand is high, so treat this as a program to apply to early, not an emergency fix.
  • Rebuilding Together Austin San Antonio. Critical home repairs at no cost to income-eligible homeowners, with a focus on older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, and low-to-moderate income families — roofing, electrical and plumbing repairs, flooring, accessibility changes and structural work. See rebuildingtogetheraustin.org — Programs.

And if your “repair problem” is really a landlord who will not fix anything, that is a different fight — see our guide to free eviction lawyers and tenant help in San Antonio.

Outside the city limits? USDA Section 504

If your home is in a USDA-eligible rural area of Bexar County, the federal Section 504 program offers loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest over 20 years for very-low-income homeowners, and grants up to $10,000 for homeowners age 62+ to remove health and safety hazards (grants are repaid if you sell within 3 years). Many San Antonio city addresses will not qualify — check your address on the USDA site before counting on it: rd.usda.gov — Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants.

What to gather before you apply

  • A government-issued ID and Social Security cards for everyone living in the home
  • Your homeowners insurance declaration page
  • Proof your property taxes are current (or proof you are current on a payment plan or deferral)
  • Your most recent mortgage statement, if you have a mortgage
  • Proof of income: the last 3 months of pay stubs, or current benefit award letters (Social Security, SSI, retirement, child support, TANF)
  • Your last 3 monthly bank statements, and photos of the damage

Watch out for scams: the City never charges a fee to apply, and no legitimate program asks you to pay a stranger up front for a “guaranteed grant.” Verify every program on its official page above, and read the City’s home-repair scam tips on its repair page before hiring anyone.

Not sure what else you may qualify for?

Home repair is one piece. Our free Apply for Me service reviews your situation and builds a personalized guide to the San Antonio programs you may qualify for — food, rent, utilities, health coverage and more. We show you your potential matches and how to apply for each one; we do not submit government applications for you.

Check what you may qualify for →

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Frequently asked questions

Are the City’s home repair loans really free?

They are 0% interest loans with no monthly payments, forgiven a portion each year while you live in the home and follow the rules — stay for the full term and the loan can be forgiven completely. They are not gifts, though: a lien is filed on your home, and if you sell, move out or rent the home during the term, the remaining balance comes due.

What is the income limit for City home repair help?

Household income at or below 80% of Area Median Income. For 2026 that is $56,350 for a one-person household and $80,500 for a family of four. The program pages carry the full chart for every household size.

I rent my home. Can I get repair help?

The City loan programs are for people who own and live in their home. Renters can still use AACOG weatherization (with the landlord’s approval), CPS Energy Casa Verde, and the Green & Healthy Homes lead program when the property owner takes part — and your landlord is generally responsible for keeping a rental safe and livable.

How long does Major Rehab take?

Plan on months, not weeks. The City says it typically takes 4–8 months from application to signing loan documents, and construction itself usually takes another 4–8 months, during which everyone must move out. Minor repairs and weatherization move faster, and nonprofit repairs depend on funding and waiting lists.

Helpful links & phone numbers

San Antonio Benefits is a free community guide, not a government agency. Program funds, amounts and waiting lists change — the official program pages above always have the final word. Facts verified against official sources on October 25, 2026.

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