If you own your home in Philadelphia and can't afford an urgent repair, start with three phone calls: the Heater Hotline (215-568-7190) for a broken heater, PHDC's Basic Systems Repair Program (215-448-2160) for dangerous wiring, a broken sewer or water line, or a roof leak that has brought down part of a ceiling, and Clarifi (215-866-5200) for the City's 3% Restore, Repair, Renew loan if you earn too much for the free programs. Seniors and people with disabilities have their own programs too. Which one fits depends mostly on your household income and what is broken.
Below is what each program covers, with the income limits as published now. Programs change their rules and funding, so confirm the details with the program before you count on it. If you smell gas, don't call a program: leave the house and call PGW's emergency line or 911 from outside. The City keeps a current list on its Get home improvement help page.
Free emergency repairs: the Basic Systems Repair Program
The Basic Systems Repair Program (BSRP), run by the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation (PHDC), makes free emergency repairs to owner-occupied homes. According to PHDC, you must:
- own and live in the single-family house with the problem;
- not own any other residential property in Philadelphia;
- be current, or on a payment agreement, for both property taxes and the water bill;
- have a gross household income at or below the limit: $85,900 for one person, $98,200 for two, $110,500 for three and $122,700 for four, with higher limits for larger households.
Those limits are 100% of the area median income in the City's income guidelines, so the program isn't only for the lowest-income households.
What BSRP fixes
PHDC lists emergencies in five areas:
- Electrical: dangerous conditions such as overheating or sparking wiring, or whole circuits that won't stay on.
- Plumbing: leaking or broken sewer lines and water service lines.
- Heating: these go through the Heater Hotline first (see below). If the hotline finds the heater needs replacing, it forwards the case to BSRP.
- Roofing: roof leaks that have caused a section of ceiling of 4 square feet or more to collapse. PHDC says small roof leaks are not emergencies under the program.
- Structural and carpentry: repairs to floors and joists, and limited repairs to exterior walls.
The list is about emergencies in basic systems, so don't expect BSRP to pay for a renovation or for wear that isn't dangerous yet.
How to apply
Apply online through the One Philly Front Door portal linked from the BSRP page, or call PHDC at 215-448-2160 (Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to noon; TDD 215-448-2184). You'll need the source, amount and frequency of income for every household member.
PHDC says certain documents help it prioritize a repair: an L&I violation notice, a Water Department defect notice, a heater tag or PGW defect notice, or photos of a collapsed ceiling or sewage. If you have any of these, keep them and mention them when you apply.
No heat: the Heater Hotline and LIHEAP
Heater Hotline (homeowners, lower income)
The Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) runs the City's free emergency heater repair program, known as the Heater Hotline: call 215-568-7190. ECA's eligibility rules are stricter than BSRP's:
- you own and live in the single-family home and don't own more than one property;
- household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, which the City lists as $23,940 for one person, $32,460 for two, $40,980 for three and $49,500 for four;
- renters aren't eligible.
The hotline repairs existing systems: oil burners, gas valves, thermostats and controls, chimneys and flues, circulators and blowers, and heating pipes. It doesn't install new systems and doesn't work on water heaters. When a system is beyond repair, ECA refers you to BSRP. In heating season you may reach an answering service; ECA says it calls back.
LIHEAP crisis grants (owners and renters)
Pennsylvania's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is best known for help with heating bills, but its crisis grants also cover "broken heating equipment or leaking lines that must be fixed or replaced." The 2026–2027 season is scheduled to open on November 2, 2026. Renters and homeowners can both apply, and the income limits match the Heater Hotline's figures above. Call the LIHEAP hotline at 1-866-857-7095 on weekdays, or, in a crisis, your county assistance office. Returning applicants can apply online through COMPASS.
ECA points renters, and anyone who needs a whole new heating system, to LIHEAP. For keeping a working system running, see our guide to a furnace and boiler tune-up before winter.
A low-interest loan if you earn too much: Restore, Repair, Renew
If your income is above the free programs' limits, or the work isn't an emergency, the City's Restore, Repair, Renew program (RRR) offers home repair loans through a participating lender:
- $2,500 to $50,000, 10-year term, 3% fixed APR;
- the loan amount must include a 10% contingency;
- household income at or below 120% of area median income: $103,100 for one person, $117,800 for two, $132,550 for three, $147,250 for four;
- the house must be your primary residence, you need a credit score above 580 and homeowners insurance, and taxes and utilities must be current or on a payment plan with the City;
- no L&I violations, or the violations are fixed as part of the work;
- the lender also checks loan-to-value, debt-to-income and unresolved judgments.
RRR covers a much wider list than BSRP, including roofs, masonry, outside stairs, windows and doors, plumbing and sewer lines, HVAC and water heaters, electrical repairs, lead paint, mold and radon, and accessibility changes.
How RRR works, and where your contractor comes in
Applications go through Clarifi, a housing counseling agency: call 215-866-5200. Clarifi's counselors check eligibility and arrange a professional home assessment. You get the contractor estimates yourself, and the choice of contractor is yours. Clarifi says contractors giving estimates must be licensed and insured and must submit proof for their estimate to be accepted. After the loan is approved you sign the contracts, and when the work is finished the lender inspects it before the contractors are paid.
That makes RRR a good fit for planned repairs you can describe clearly. Collect estimates that use the same scope, so the lender and Clarifi compare like with like, and check each contractor yourself: our guide on how to check a contractor in Philadelphia covers the state registration, City licenses and the written contract.
Seniors: PCA's SHARP program
The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging's Senior Housing Assistance Repair Program (SHARP) makes minor repairs and safety changes for homeowners 60 and older. The home must be structurally sound with all utilities working, including central heating, so SHARP is for smaller jobs, not a failed roof or a dead boiler. PCA lists:
- doors and locks, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and wooden basement steps;
- leaky faucets and toilets, and electrical fixtures;
- grab bars, tub benches, hand-held showers, railings and intercoms.
PCA says the service is free for households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and may be available above that on a cost-sharing basis. Call the PCA Helpline at 215-765-9040.
Accessibility: the Adaptive Modifications Program
PHDC's Adaptive Modifications Program (AMP) makes free changes so people with permanent physical disabilities can live more independently at home. It is one of the few programs open to renters: you must be the owner-occupant or have the owner's permission. The home must be structurally sound, property taxes must be current, and household income must be at or below the AMP limit ($68,750 for one person, $78,550 for two, $88,350 for three, $98,150 for four).
After an inspection, AMP may provide accessible kitchens and bathrooms, stairway elevators, exterior wheelchair lifts and ramps, railings, barrier-free showers, and first-floor full or half baths. PHDC states that home repairs are not included. Apply through One Philly Front Door or call 215-448-2160, with proof of disability from your physician.
Water and sewer lines: PWD's HELP loan
If the Water Department sent you a Notice of Defect for a broken or leaking water or sewer line, the Homeowner's Emergency Loan Program (HELP) offers a zero-interest loan repaid over 60 months, and PWD picks the contractor. Our sewer line repair guide explains the notice and your options.
In Bucks and Montgomery counties
Both counties ran home repair programs with one-time state funding, and both pages now say they are closed: Bucks County's Home Repair Program stopped taking new applications in October 2025, and Montgomery County's Home Repairs Program says it isn't accepting new applications or adding households to its waitlist. Montgomery's page links to a list of other federal, state, local and nonprofit repair resources. LIHEAP's heating crisis grants are statewide, so suburban homeowners and renters with a broken heater can apply through their county assistance office.
Checklist before you apply
- Write down what is broken and whether anyone is at risk (no heat, sewage, sparking, a sagging ceiling).
- Take photos, and keep any L&I notice, PWD Notice of Defect, PGW tag or heater tag.
- Add up gross household income for everyone in the house, and gather pay stubs, benefit letters and other proof.
- Check that property taxes and the water bill are current, or set up a payment agreement; several programs require it.
- Match the problem to a program: heater (Heater Hotline, LIHEAP), emergency electrical, plumbing, roof or structure (BSRP), water or sewer line with a notice (HELP), smaller repairs for seniors (SHARP), accessibility (AMP), everything else (RRR loan).
- Call the program yourself, using the numbers on its official page. If someone knocks on your door saying they're from a City program, call the program to confirm before you let them in or sign anything.
- Ask how long the wait is, and what you can safely do meanwhile to keep the problem from getting worse.
When to call a pro
Assistance programs are worth trying first if you qualify, but they don't fit every situation. Hire a contractor directly when:
- your income is above the program limits, or you own another property;
- the program says the work isn't covered, such as a small roof leak that hasn't damaged the ceiling yet, or a heating system that needs replacing when you don't qualify for BSRP;
- the problem is getting worse faster than a program can respond;
- you're using an RRR loan and need licensed, insured contractors to give you estimates.
On HomeKept, you can describe the job once, with photos and any notice you've received, and compare up to 3 estimates from local pros. It's free for homeowners and covers Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery counties. A person reviews every pro profile, and license and insurance badges appear only after documents are checked; that isn't a background check, so still verify the license and insurance yourself, especially for an RRR estimate. Start with the service that matches your problem: heating and cooling, roofing, plumbing or electrical pros in Philadelphia.
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