Who Pays for Home Modifications in Indiana?

Who Pays for Home Modifications in Indiana?

One of the first questions homeowners ask when they discover that their home needs an accessibility modification is simple: Who is going to pay for it?

A home modification—whether it's a wheelchair ramp, accessible bathroom, widened doorway, stair lift, or another improvement—can make a tremendous difference in how safely and independently someone can use their home. But the cost can also be significant, and many families aren't sure where to turn for financial assistance.

The good news is that Indiana has several potential funding sources for home modifications. The right option depends on the person's circumstances, the type of modification, and the purpose of the project.

Potential funding sources include:

• Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver programs

• Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation

• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs

• Charitable organizations and churches

• Private pay

Let's look at each option.

1. Medicaid Waiver Programs

For many Indiana residents, Medicaid waiver programs are one of the most important potential funding sources for home modifications.

Indiana's Home- and Community-Based Services programs are designed to help eligible individuals remain in their homes and communities rather than requiring institutional care. Home modifications are among the services that may be available through several Indiana waivers.

Several programs may provide funding for home modifications, including:

• Indiana PathWays for Aging (PathWays)

• Family Supports Waiver (FSW)

• Community Integration and Habilitation (CIH) Waiver

• Health & Wellness (H&W) Waiver

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Waiver

  
  

The specific rules, eligibility requirements, authorization process, and available services vary by waiver.

Indiana PathWays for Aging

PathWays is the Medicaid waiver program for eligible Hoosiers age 60 and older who receive Medicaid and meet the program's requirements.

Home modifications and home modification assessments are among the services that may be available through PathWays. The specific services provided to an individual are determined through the person's service plan and require authorization.

Indiana's current PathWays guidance provides a $20,000 lifetime cap for home modifications, with an additional allowance of up to $1,000 per year for repair, replacement, or adjustment of an existing waiver-funded modification.

This can make PathWays an important resource for eligible homeowners who need accessibility improvements to remain safely in their homes.

Family Supports Waiver (FSW)

The Family Supports Waiver is administered through Indiana's Bureau of Disabilities Services (BDS) and provides services intended to help individuals with developmental disabilities live as independently as possible in their homes and communities.

Home modifications and home modification assessments are included among the available services.

For the FSW, Indiana's current guidance provides a $20,000 lifetime allowance for home modifications, and the home modification amount is outside the waiver's broader service cap.

Community Integration and Habilitation (CIH) Waiver

The CIH Waiver provides home- and community-based services for eligible individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities who require a higher level of support.

Home modifications may be available when they are necessary to help the individual remain safely and independently in the community.

As with the other waivers, modifications must meet program requirements and receive the appropriate authorization.

Health & Wellness (H&W) Waiver

The Health & Wellness Waiver is another Indiana Medicaid HCBS waiver that can include home modifications.

The program is intended to support eligible individuals in receiving services in their homes and communities. Home modifications are among the services that may be authorized.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Waiver

The TBI Waiver provides home- and community-based services to eligible individuals with traumatic brain injuries.

Home modifications and home modification assessments are specifically included among the available waiver services.

How Much Will a Medicaid Waiver Pay?

A common misconception is that being on a Medicaid waiver automatically means every requested modification will be covered.

It doesn't.

Indiana's current guidance describes home modifications as basic modifications needed for accessibility and safety and places a $20,000 lifetime cap on home modifications per waiver, along with a $1,000 annual allowance for repair, replacement, or adjustment of an existing waiver-funded modification.

Indiana also recently clarified that waiver funding is intended for basic modifications necessary to meet the individual's needs. Upgrades or materials that go beyond those basic needs may not be approved.

The modification also needs to go through the waiver's authorization process. For example, Indiana requires home modification assessments for certain BDS waivers, including FSW, CIH, and TBI, before a modification is completed when an assessment provider is available in the county.

The important takeaway: A waiver can be an excellent funding source, but the project needs to fit within the rules of the particular waiver and be properly documented and authorized.

2. Vocational Rehabilitation

Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is another potential funding source, but it works very differently from Medicaid waiver funding.

The key question for VR is:

How does the home modification relate to the person's employment goal?

Indiana's VR rules specifically state that home modification services must be vocationally necessary to achieve the eligible individual's employment outcome. A required home modification evaluation must also demonstrate how the modification is relevant to that employment outcome.

That means VR generally isn't the appropriate funding source simply because someone needs a more accessible home.

Instead, the modification needs to have a meaningful connection to employment.

For example, a modification might potentially support someone who needs to:

• Safely enter and leave the home to get to work

• Access a home-based work area

• Create an accessible workspace within the residence

• Move through the home to perform job duties

• Use a bathroom or other necessary area while working from home

Indiana's VR rules specifically identify potential modifications such as exterior doors, accessible workspaces, bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and passageways.

VR also requires a home modification evaluation before modifications are completed.

So while Vocational Rehabilitation can be an excellent funding source for the right situation, it is important to establish the vocational relevance of the project from the beginning.

3. Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)

Another potential source of assistance comes through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs.

CDBG funding is different from Medicaid or Vocational Rehabilitation. Rather than being an individual entitlement, CDBG funds are generally administered through communities and local programs.

Indiana's Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) currently offers an Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Grant program that allows eligible Indiana communities to establish local programs providing assistance to homeowners. Eligible activities can include certain ADA accessibility improvements.

This means availability can depend heavily on where the home is located.

Example: Fort Wayne's Accessibility Modifications Program

Fort Wayne provides a good example of how CDBG funding can be used for accessibility improvements.

The City's 2026 Accessibility Modifications Program provides grants of up to $20,000 for eligible accessibility improvements for qualifying owner-occupied households that include a person with a permanent disability. The program is funded through CDBG.

The program has specific eligibility requirements, including:

• The applicant must own the home.

• The home must be the applicant's primary residence.

• The household must include a person with a permanent disability.

• Household income must be at or below 80% of Area Median Income.

• The property must meet the program's requirements.

• The property must be located within Fort Wayne city limits.

Eligible improvements can include certain exterior accessibility improvements, door modifications, flooring changes, handrails, ramps, and other accessibility-related work.

Fort Wayne's program illustrates an important point: CDBG funding can be a valuable resource, but the specific program and eligibility requirements are local.

If you're looking for CDBG assistance, check with your city, county, or local housing department to see whether an accessibility or owner-occupied rehabilitation program is currently available.

4. Charitable Organizations, Churches, and Community Resources

Not every home modification fits neatly into a government funding program.

Sometimes a homeowner doesn't qualify for a waiver. The modification may exceed a program's funding limit. Or the project may simply fall outside the scope of a particular program.

This is where charitable and community resources can make a difference.

Servants at Work (SAWs)

Servants at Work (SAWs) is one of Indiana's best-known organizations providing accessibility ramps.

SAWs is a nonprofit organization that builds exterior residential wheelchair ramps for eligible low-income individuals with permanent or long-term mobility needs. The organization relies on donations and volunteers and does not charge qualifying recipients for its ramps.

SAWs has built thousands of ramps throughout Indiana and works with churches, community organizations, businesses, and volunteers to provide accessible entrances for people who otherwise may not be able to safely enter and leave their homes.

For someone who primarily needs a ramp, a charitable ramp-building organization may be worth exploring before paying for the project privately.

Churches and Faith-Based Organizations

Local churches can also be an important source of assistance.

Some churches have:

• Building or construction ministries

• Volunteer work teams

• Benevolence funds

• Mission programs

• Relationships with local contractors

• Funds specifically designated for helping neighbors with home repairs

The availability of assistance varies widely from church to church, but it can be worthwhile to contact churches in the community and explain the specific need.

Sometimes the church itself provides funding. In other cases, it may organize volunteers, locate donated materials, or connect a homeowner with another organization that can help.

Other Community Organizations

Depending on the location and circumstances, assistance may also be available through:

• Local foundations

• Area Agencies on Aging

• Community action agencies

• United Way organizations

• Civic organizations

• Veterans organizations

• Disability-focused nonprofits

• Local service clubs

• Housing nonprofits

These programs frequently have limited funding and specific eligibility requirements, so availability can change over time.

5. Private Pay

Finally, some homeowners simply pay for their modifications themselves.

Private pay is often the most straightforward option when:

• The homeowner does not qualify for a funding program.

• The project is outside a program's scope.

• The modification exceeds a funding limit.

• The homeowner wants a higher-end or customized solution.

• The project needs to be completed quickly.

• The homeowner prefers not to go through a lengthy funding approval process.

Private pay also gives homeowners the greatest flexibility in choosing the scope, materials, and contractor, subject to applicable building codes and permitting requirements.

For larger projects, homeowners may want to obtain multiple estimates and compare the long-term value of different approaches.

A home modification evaluation can be particularly useful in this situation because it helps the homeowner understand what needs to be changed before committing to construction costs.

Can Multiple Funding Sources Be Combined?

Sometimes.

In fact, combining resources can be an important part of making a larger project possible.

For example, a homeowner might have:

• Medicaid waiver funding for an eligible portion of a project

• A charitable organization helping with a ramp

• A local grant helping with another accessibility improvement

• Private funds covering costs that exceed available assistance

However, funding programs have their own rules about how funds can be used and whether costs can be supplemented by another source.

Indiana's current Medicaid guidance specifically contemplates situations where other funding streams or community agencies may help address home-modification maintenance costs that exceed the waiver's annual allowance.

The safest approach is to discuss potential overlapping funding sources with the applicable case manager, funding agency, or program administrator before work begins.

Which Funding Source Should You Try First?

There isn't one answer for everyone, but the following approach can be useful:

If you're on a Medicaid waiver:

Start with your case manager or service coordinator and determine whether home modifications are an available service under your specific waiver.

If the modification is related to employment:

Talk with your Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation counselor about whether the project can be connected to your employment outcome.

If you're a low-income homeowner:

Check with your city or county housing department about CDBG-funded accessibility or owner-occupied rehabilitation programs.

If you need a wheelchair ramp:

Consider organizations such as SAWs and other local ramp-building or community organizations.

If you don't qualify for other programs:

Private pay may be the most practical option.

Don't Start Construction Before You Understand the Funding

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners can make is beginning work before determining how the project will be funded.

Many funding programs require:

• A home modification evaluation

• Specific documentation

• Prior authorization

• Approved contractors

• Multiple bids

• Inspections

• Permits

• Specific materials or project specifications

Starting construction before receiving approval can jeopardize the availability of funding.

For example, Indiana's Medicaid waiver rules establish specific requirements around assessments, authorization, bids, and inspections for home modifications.

Before signing a construction contract, find out what your potential funding source requires.

Final Thoughts

There are more options for paying for home modifications in Indiana than many homeowners realize.

Medicaid waiver programs such as PathWays, FSW, CIH, H&W, and TBI can provide significant assistance for eligible individuals. Vocational Rehabilitation can help when a modification is directly connected to an employment goal. CDBG programs can provide local assistance to qualifying homeowners. Organizations such as SAWs, churches, and other charitable groups may be able to help when government funding isn't available. And for homeowners who don't qualify for assistance—or who want greater flexibility—private pay remains an option.

The key is to identify the potential funding source before the work begins.

A well-prepared home modification evaluation can be an important first step. It documents the challenges within the home, identifies practical solutions, and provides the information that homeowners, funding agencies, case managers, and contractors need to determine the best path forward.

When the right funding source and the right modification come together, the result isn't simply a renovated house. It's a home that works better for the person living in it.

Important Note

Funding programs, eligibility requirements, limits, and application procedures can change. This article is intended as a general guide and should not be considered a guarantee of funding or eligibility. Homeowners should confirm current requirements directly with the applicable program or funding agency before beginning a home modification project.