The 504 loan program is intended to help very low-income people in rural areas make improvements on their homes—especially fixes that improve health and safety. And the flooding throughout the North Country over the last few weeks has left many homes in sudden, urgent need of repairs that often aren’t covered by insurance.

Bonnie Murray is with the USDA Rural Development office that serves St. Lawrence, Clinton and Franklin counties. She says the 504 program can help in two ways:

We have a 1% loan that can go up to 20 years, and we also have a grant program for people 65 and older. Grant funds can be used to correct h&s issues, loan funds can be used for just about any kind of home repair.

Loans under 7500 dollars don’t require a mortgage. Eligibility guidelines are at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ny.