Home Modification Loan Program
Over the past 20 years, the Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP) has helped over 3,000 households finance home accessibility improvements to make it possible for individuals with disabilities and older adults to remain in their own homes and communities.
For more information, please call Susan Gillam at 1-866-500-5599.
Established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1999, HMLP is a state funded loan program that provides financing to homeowners and small landlords for necessary home modifications such as:
- Ramps and lifts
- Kitchen and bathroom adaptations
- Sensory integration spaces
- Fencing
- Hand rails
- Brighter lighting
- Widening of doorways
- Flooring renovations
- Creation of additional living space, including accessory dwelling units or in-law apartments
Loan Information
- Loans up to $50,000 for property owners and $30,000 for owners of manufactured or mobile homes
- 0% interest rate
- No monthly payments required
- Repayment is required when the property is sold or transferred
- Landlords with fewer than 10 units may be eligible for a 3% interest rate loan for a tenant
How to Apply
Click here to see our program materials in alternative formats and languages.
Review the HMLP brochure to learn more about the program’s eligibility requirements. Download a list of the regional agencies, who assist applicants throughout the process, or enter your city or town below to be directed to the agency working with applicants in your community. Program information is also available in multiple languages.
HMLP Brochure (English) »
HMLP Provider Agencies »
Download the HMLP Frequently-Asked-Questions and Application. Complete and submit the necessary application.
Communities Served by Providers »
HMLP FAQs & Application (English) »
Applicants are responsible for finding, hiring and managing their chosen contractor. Although the program does not recommend specific contractors, if assistance is needed applicants can contact their regional provider.
HMLP Contractor FAQ (English) »
HMLP Bid Form »
Office of Consumer Affairs Guide to Home Improvement »
Once the HMLP Application is complete, including the completed bid form by the chosen contractor, a program construction monitor will conduct an inspection with the homeowner and contractor. Next the applicant reviews and signs the loan documents.
Once the mortgage is recorded, project funds can be requested by the homeowner. Loan funds are disbursed in increments based on invoices submitted throughout the modification project.
Borrower Testimonials
Taylor’s Place, Haverhill
Tina Magilio and Shawn worked with Community Teamwork, Inc., and obtained a $50,000 HMLP loan to create a separate living space or attached accessory dwelling unit in their basement for Taylor. Taylor is 26 years old and has multiple disabilities, this separate living space gives Taylor the ability to strengthen her life skills and create a space that is uniquely hers.
Ready to Start the HMLP Application?
Watch this video to learn tips and suggestions about completing the application. The helpful hints come directly from the HMLP regional staff, who have assisted so many households successfully complete the process.
We do suggest you review the HMLP Application & Frequently Asked Questions as the first step. You can find this document here.
Click Here for Video Transcript
Did you know that, in certain circumstances, the Home Modification Loan Program could provide you a loan to help construct an Accessory Dwelling Unit or ADU?
Many HMLP applicants apply to the program for projects like installing a ramp, stair-lift, or walk-in shower, or for a sensory integration space, fencing or a hard-wired alert system for greater safety.
But if you’re considering adding to your property and constructing an Accessory Dwelling Unit or ADU for a family member or caregiver, watch this video to learn more about how the Home Modification Loan Program could help you make this possible. Click Here for Video Transcript
HMLP Funded ADU or Accessory Dwelling Unit, Cape Cod
This family obtained an HMLP loan in 2020 to construct an ADU or Accessory Dwelling unit on their property for their adult son with a mental health diagnosis. One of the biggest challenges he has faced throughout his adult life has been the stability of his housing. The parents and son designed and built this separate home, providing much needed independence and privacy and with peace of mind in knowing their son has a stable, safe place to live, reducing their own stress. Click Here for Video Transcript
Curb-free Shower, Shrewsbury
John and Rebecca Wohlleib live in Shrewsbury. John is the primary caregiver for his wife Rebecca, who has advanced dementia and, as a result, has significant mobility impairments. John worked with the HMLP provider agency, RCAP Solutions, to secure a $32,305 HMLP loan to fund a curb-free shower in the existing half-bath on the first floor, so that Rebecca can comfortably live on the first floor of their 2-story home. With these modifications, John is better able to care for his wife, reducing some of the challenges of caregiving and ensuring Rebecca has a higher quality of life. Click Here for Video Transcript
Studio Apartment Conversion, Fitchburg
HMLP helped the DeRosa/Silva Family to modify their home to create a studio apartment with an accessible bathroom and entrance for their daughter Valeria, who has Cerebral Palsy and uses a wheelchair for mobility.
Accessible Entrance, Southampton
Ruth and Leonard Perrault learned about HMLP from the staff at the rehabilitation facility where Ruth was recovering from a recent amputation surgery. HMLP allowed them to completely remodel the existing bathroom and entrance to their home so it is wheelchair accessible. They describe the impact of these modifications as allowing Ruth to “feel less dependent on others” and has “significantly improved her spirits and outlook on life since the operation”.
Bathroom Adaptation, Sandwich
The Dykeman family took out a HMLP loan for their son, John with Muscular Dystrophy, to better access his familiar surroundings. The modifications included reconfiguration of their downstairs space for better wheelchair accessibility. The family also transformed John’s living area to help meet his future needs and create a more independent space, with an accessible bathroom with a curbless shower, along with laminate flooring for ease of clean-up and additional storage and space for other medical equipment.
