dazbert

© epSos.de

The community of Martha's Vineyard is upset over the loss of home improvement grants for energy efficient affordable housing like the Eliakims Way neighborhood development. Governor Deval Patrick was on hand at a community meeting last week to answer questions on this issue and others from constituents.

The owner of a local construction company was especially concerned about the priority habitat restrictions which he felt over-regulated development on land which may harbor protected animal species. By this definition, almost 75% of Martha's Vineyard is defined as priority habitat. The Goodale Construction company has been asked by the community to set aside two protected acres for each acre they expand their sand and gravel mining operation, and the owners worry that the strict regulations could put them out of business. The conversation focused on Massachusetts Department of Community Housing grants where were rejected this month after legal errors delayed the approval process.

© Liberal Democrats

Federal home improvement grants in Canada have allowed home owners to do things like install hardwood flooring in their living rooms, so its no surprise that these grants have attracted a lot of interest from the public. Now the Harper administration has launched plans for a new round of eco friendly home improvement grants which are designed to be an extension of the wildly popular ecoEnergy retrofit program.

Thousands or even millions of Canadians are sure to get in line for this new program which is meant to encourage energy efficiency in the country. The grant money will run out by the end of next March, so there is likely to be a rush to take advantage of the grants of up to $5000 per house. These grants, however, will be a bit more difficult to obtain than previous home improvement grants or water conservation rebates.

© Numinosity (by Gary J Wood)

Veteran's Administration (VA) home improvement grants are available to qualifying disabled veterans in the US to help them defray the costs of home modifications to improve mobility and access. Recent legal changes have now increased the amount available to veterans with home modification grants of up to $50,000 now available depending on the type and level of disability.

There are several different home renovation programs available to disabled vets. The Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) program, for example, provides grants for the construction of adaptive homes or modifications on existing properties. The SAH grant is limited to $50,000, and eligibility requirements include eligibility for service-connected disability compensation for total and permanent disability. For example, those vets that have lost the use of both legs or are blind in both eyes are eligible for these grants.