If you're a Palm Beach County homeowner — and especially if you're 62 or older, a veteran, or a member of a household with special needs — there is real money on the table for your home, right now.
Palm Beach County's Department of Housing and Economic Development has officially announced approximately $2,300,000 in funding through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Emergency Repairs Program — Phase I, with awards of up to $75,000 per eligible household to address the kind of repairs that can't wait.
We're talking roofs. Electrical. Plumbing. Hurricane hardening. Structural work. The repairs that protect your home, your family, and your equity — the kind of repairs Florida homeowners simply can't afford to put off.
This is the type of program HFA was built for. So let's break it down.
🔧 What the Program Covers
Funding can be used for emergency conditions on owner-occupied homes, including:
- 🏠 Roofing — repairs and replacements
- ⚡ Electrical — bringing outdated or unsafe systems up to code
- 🚰 Plumbing — leaks, failures, and water damage at the source
- 🌀 Hurricane Hardening — impact windows, impact doors, and storm reinforcements
- 🧱 Structural Repairs — the foundation-level work that protects your home long term
⚠️ Important: SHIP funding cannot be used to repair mobile homes.
✅ Who Qualifies
The Emergency Repairs Program is targeted at low-income, owner-occupied households where the applicant is:
- 👴 Age 62 or older
- 🎖️ a veteran
- ♿ or a special needs applicant
Households must also meet Palm Beach County's 80% AMI low-income limits.
The property's appraised value cannot exceed $434,000, and if there's unpermitted work on the home, it may make the property ineligible. (This is one of the most common surprises homeowners run into — and one of the first things we check on every counseling call.)
💰 How the Money Works
This isn't a grant in the traditional sense. All financial assistance is delivered in the form of a deferred loan, secured by a recorded Mortgage, Promissory Note, and Declaration of Restrictions. In plain English: the County records a lien for the assistance, and the homeowner doesn't have to make monthly payments. This is exactly how SHIP funding is structured to keep the help flowing to the families who need it most while protecting the program for future homeowners.
🎲 This Is a Lottery — Not a Race
Here's the part you need to read twice.
Palm Beach County will accept pre-applications during a defined window and then randomly select 30 applications for the program. That's it. 30.
- 📅 Portal opens: Monday, June 8, 2026 at 8:00 AM
- 📅 Portal closes: Friday, June 26, 2026 at 11:59 PM
- 🔗 Apply at: pbcgov.com/HED
Because selection is random, being "first" doesn't matter — being eligible, complete, and accurate does. A clean, well-documented pre-application is the difference between getting selected and getting screened out.
🎓 You're Invited: Free Pre-Application Orientations
Palm Beach County is hosting virtual pre-application orientations. They are not mandatory, but they are highly recommended — and we second that recommendation.
Pick a session:
- 🗓️ Tuesday, May 12, 2026 — 7:30 AM
- 🗓️ Wednesday, May 20, 2026 — 3:00 PM
- 🗓️ Thursday, May 28, 2026 — 9:00 AM
- 🗓️ Thursday, June 4, 2026 — 12:00 PM
📞 Join by WebEx or phone: (904) 900-2303 or (844) 621-3956
🔢 Meeting number: 2300 850 5901 · Password: stKFuAdm935
🌐 ADA accommodations and translation services in Spanish and Kreyòl are available — contact PBC HED at (561) 233-3600
or HEDVerify@pbc.gov at least five business days before the portal opens.
🤝 How Housing Foundation of America Can Help
As a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, HFA exists for exactly this kind of moment — the moment a real opportunity opens up and a family has to navigate paperwork, income documentation, property records, and a tight deadline, often while juggling work, caregiving, and an aging home that needs help.
Here's what our team can do with you:
- 🔍 Pre-screen your eligibility against the 80% AMI limits, age/veteran/special-needs criteria, and the $434,000 appraised-value cap
- 🧭 Walk you through the pre-application portal step by step
- 📄 Review your documents (income, residency, ownership) before you submit
- 🚩 Flag risk areas like unpermitted work, title issues, or appraisal concerns before they become a denial
- 🗣️ Coordinate translation — English, Spanish, and Haitian Kreyòl
We've helped hundreds of South Florida homeowners get Home Approved for assistance programs across Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties. Palm Beach County's SHIP Emergency Repair window is short and the awards are limited — let's make sure your file is one of the strongest 30 in the room.
🚀 Your Next Step — Today
⏰ Don't wait until June 8. The homeowners who get selected, get funded, and get their roofs, electrical, plumbing, or impact windows installed this year are the ones who are organized right now — before the portal opens.
Here's how to move forward:
📲 Download the Housing Foundation of America Home Search App It's the fastest way to connect with our counselors, track programs you qualify for, and get document-ready before the portal opens.
📅 Click Here to Book a counseling session with our HUD-certified team!
🔔 Save the dates — June 8 (portal opens) and June 26 (portal closes). Add a calendar reminder. Tell a neighbor. Tell your church. Tell that family member whose roof has been "almost done" for three hurricane seasons.
Palm Beach County is putting $2.3 million on the table for emergency home repairs. HFA is here to help you reach for it.
🏡 Get Home Approved. Visit homeapproved.org or download the Housing Foundation of America Home Search App to get started today.
Register for a FREE HUD-Certified Homebuyer Workshop
Schedule a one-on-one appointment with a Housing Counselor
Download the HFA Home Search App for real-time funding alerts!
📲 Call us: 954-923-5001
📧 Email: HFAToday@gmail.com
💙 Text DAP to 85100
✅ Visit: www.homeapproved.org