If you are 62 or older, own your home, and live in a rural part of Onslow County, there is a federal program that will give you up to $10,000 to fix your roof and never ask for it back. It is called Section 504, it has existed for decades, and almost nobody in this area knows about it.
Key Takeaways
- Section 504 grants max out at $10,000 over your lifetime, and a leaking roof is explicitly an eligible repair.
- You must be 62 or older, own and occupy the home, and be unable to repay a loan.
- The grant is forgiven once you have lived in the home for three consecutive years.
- Your income must fall under the very-low-income limit for Onslow County.
- The property has to sit in a USDA-eligible rural area, and that boundary runs right through this county.
- Homeowners who can repay may qualify for a 1% interest repair loan instead, which allows a larger amount of work.
At Parade Rest Services we do not administer this program and we do not take a cut of it. We inspect the roof for free, document the condition properly, and tell you honestly whether this is worth your time. See our full roof grants and repair assistance overview for the other programs available here.
What Section 504 Actually Is
Section 504 is run by USDA Rural Development, the same agency behind rural home loans. It exists because a large share of substandard housing in the United States sits in rural areas and belongs to elderly homeowners on fixed incomes who cannot borrow their way out of a repair.
The program splits into two halves, and the distinction matters:
- Grants are for homeowners aged 62 and older who cannot afford to repay a loan. Up to $10,000, lifetime cap, forgiven after three years of continued occupancy.
- Loans are available at 1% interest to very-low-income homeowners of any age who can repay. These allow a larger scope of work than the grant ceiling.
The two can sometimes be combined, which is how a household gets past the $10,000 line on a full replacement.
What “Forgiven” Means Here
This trips people up. The grant is technically a lien against the property, but the obligation disappears if you remain in the home for three consecutive years. If you sell or move out before then, USDA can recapture the funds. For a homeowner who intends to stay put, it is functionally free money. For someone planning to sell next year, it is not.
Eligibility, Honestly Assessed
Four conditions have to be true at once, and most people fail on one of them.
1. Age 62 or Older (Grants Only)
There is no way around this for the grant. If you are under 62 and very-low-income, you may still qualify for the 1% loan, which is a genuinely good deal but is not the same thing.
2. You Own and Occupy the Home
Rentals do not qualify. Neither do second homes. The property has to be your primary residence and you have to hold title.
3. Very-Low-Income for Onslow County
USDA defines “very low income” as a percentage of the county’s area median income, and the threshold moves with household size. A single-person household and a four-person household get different numbers. Do not rule yourself out by guessing. Call USDA Rural Development at 252-526-9799, ext. 4 and ask them to run your household against the current limit.
4. The Address Falls in an Eligible Rural Area
This is where most Onslow County applications die, and it is the one people find most surprising.
USDA maintains a property eligibility map, and the rural boundary in this county is not intuitive. Jacksonville proper generally falls outside the eligible area because of its population. Smaller surrounding communities frequently fall inside it. Based on how the boundary tends to run, homeowners in Maysville, Stella, Hubert, Richlands, and Holly Ridge are worth checking.
But it is determined parcel by parcel. Two houses a mile apart on the same road can get opposite answers. The only reliable method is to enter your exact address into the USDA property eligibility map or call the office and have them check it.
What the Money Can Be Used For
Section 504 grants are specifically aimed at removing health and safety hazards. A leaking roof qualifies plainly, and so does the damage underneath one.
Commonly funded work includes:
- Roof repair and replacement where leaks threaten the structure or the occupants
- Rotted decking and framing repair caused by long-term water intrusion
- Removing other hazards that endanger the household
- Accessibility improvements that help an older adult move safely through the home
That last category is worth knowing about. If your roof is failing and you have been putting off a grab bar or a threshold ramp, the same application can sometimes address both.
The grant does not cover cosmetic upgrades. If you want a designer shingle because you like how it looks, that is a conversation about financing, not about Section 504.
How $10,000 Fits Against a Real Roof
Be realistic about the ceiling. Ten thousand dollars will not usually pay for a complete tear-off and replacement on an average Onslow County home. What it reliably does:
- Pays for a substantial repair that stops active water intrusion
- Covers decking replacement where rot has already set in
- Covers a full replacement on a smaller home, particularly a single-story with a simple roof line
- Serves as the largest piece of a combined approach, stacked with a 1% loan or with private financing
If you are 62 or older with an NCIUA insurance policy, it is also worth checking the NC FORTIFIED roof grant, which pays up to $10,000 on its own and works on entirely different criteria. Those are two separate programs run by two separate agencies, and qualifying for one does not disqualify you from the other.
How to Apply
- Check your address on the USDA property eligibility map, or call 252-526-9799, ext. 4 and have them check it. Do this first. Everything else is wasted effort if the address does not qualify.
- Confirm the income limit for your household size with the same office.
- Get the roof inspected and documented. Applications supported by dated photographs and a written line-item scope of work move faster than applications that describe the problem in a paragraph. We do this at no charge.
- Submit through USDA Rural Development. There is no shortcut and no third party who can push it through faster.
- Expect it to take time. This is a federal program with a funding cycle. If your roof is actively leaking, do not wait on the decision to stop the water. Get a leak repair done now and pursue the grant for the permanent fix.
A Warning About Contractors and Grant Money
If a contractor tells you they will “handle the whole application” and asks you to sign something before the roof is inspected, slow down. And ask any contractor this directly: does your price change because grant money is involved?
It should not. The line-item price for your roof is the same whether you pay cash, finance it, or bring $10,000 of federal money to the table. Inflating a bid to absorb grant funding leaves you with a worse roof for the same out-of-pocket cost, and it is the fastest way for a contractor to lose access to these programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a Section 504 grant if I already received one years ago?
The $10,000 is a lifetime cap, not a per-application cap. If you received $4,000 in the past, you have $6,000 of room remaining. Ask USDA to confirm your history before assuming either way.
Does Section 504 cover a full roof replacement?
Sometimes, on smaller and simpler homes. On an average three-bedroom with a moderately complex roof, $10,000 usually covers a major repair rather than a complete replacement. Combining the grant with a 1% Section 504 loan is the common path to a full replacement.
I am a veteran. Does that help my Section 504 application?
It does not change your Section 504 eligibility, which is based on age, income, and location only. It is still worth knowing that the VA’s own housing grants are adaptation grants rather than roof grants, a distinction a lot of roofing advertising gets wrong.
What if I am under 62?
You cannot receive the grant, but the 1% interest repair loan is open to very-low-income homeowners of any age who can repay it. For many households that is a better outcome anyway, because the loan supports a larger scope of work.
Does my mobile or manufactured home qualify?
It can, provided you own both the home and the land it sits on and it is your primary residence. Confirm with the USDA office, since manufactured housing has additional conditions.
Get the Inspection and the Straight Answer
We serve homeowners across Jacksonville, Onslow County, and the surrounding coastal communities, and a good share of the people we talk to have no idea any of this exists. The inspection is free, the documentation is yours to keep whether you hire us or not, and we will tell you plainly if you do not qualify.
Call (910) 459-5078, or read the full roof grants and repair assistance guide to see every program available in Onslow County.