Appleton homeowners who need a new roof, furnace or electrical work but can't swing the cost have until 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, to apply for the city's Homeowner Rehabilitation Loan Program, which offers loans with no interest and no monthly payments (via City of Appleton).
The application window opened Monday, Oct. 19. The program is open to low- and moderate-income Appleton residents who own and live in a single-family home or an owner-occupied duplex and have lived there at least 90 days. The house has to be physically and financially worth rehabbing.
Here's how the money works. Each loan is the lowest of $25,000, the actual cost of the repairs, or an amount that keeps total mortgages and liens at or below 100% of the home's current value; the housing coordinator can approve up to 110% in some cases. The loan is recorded as a lien and doesn't have to be repaid until the owner sells, transfers, leases or moves out of the home.
Income limits are based on HUD figures as of May 2026. A one-person household can earn up to $62,300 in gross income, a family of four up to $88,950 and a household of eight or more up to $117,450. Applicants also can't have more than $50,000 in assets, not counting the home itself.
The city funds repairs in a set priority order: lead paint hazards first, then electrical, plumbing, heating, roofing, foundation, windows, exterior doors and insulation, interior walls and ceilings (for lead hazards only), and exterior surfaces. Anything that fails code during the city's inspection, and every lead hazard, has to be fixed with the loan. Cosmetic work like flooring or new cabinets isn't eligible, and the city warns that the money may not cover everything a homeowner asks for.
The program has been around for years. When the city opened a round in 2024, NBC26 reported that it works as a revolving fund, with repaid loans going back out to new applicants. City staffer David Kress told the station that "as the loans are repaid it does make additional funds available for future applicants." Patch covered a 2021 round run the same way, with forms available only during the application window.
Applications can be downloaded from the city's site or picked up at City Hall, 100 N. Appleton St., on the first floor across from the cashiers or at fifth-floor Customer Service. Housing Coordinator Laura Bonnet runs the program and can be reached at (920) 832-6007.
Why it matters for Contractors
This is a steady source of small, needs-based work in Appleton's older neighborhoods: roofs, furnaces, panels, plumbing and windows. Because lead hazards come first, a lot of these jobs will be in pre-1978 homes. In Wisconsin, that means your company has to be a certified lead company and the job needs a certified lead-safe renovator once you disturb 6 square feet inside, 20 square feet outside or replace any window (Wisconsin DHS rules).
The city's page doesn't spell out how contractors get picked. If you want in, call the housing coordinator and ask how the program selects contractors and what paperwork you'll need. And if a homeowner asks you about a repair they can't afford, point them to the program before Nov. 20.