Housing Rehabilitation Contact Information
Davida Washington, Program Administrator
Phone: 410-632-1200 (ext. 1171)
Fax 410-632-3008
dwashington@co.worcester.md.us
Worcester County Housing Rehabilitation Program
The Program is administered through the Worcester County Department of Development, Review and Permitting. This program provides grants and loan funding to owner occupied properties for general rehabilitation and lead abatement services. The Special Loans Rehabilitation Application is utilized for all grant and loan programs and may be downloaded below. The following is some general information on available funding:
Special Loans Rehabilitation Application
Worcester County 2025 Housing Study
Previous Studies
Owner Occupied Housing
General Rehabilitation
• Homes may only be assisted once with grant funding
• Current or retired Worcester County employees, their immediate families or individuals holding contracts to do business with Worcester County are generally ineligible for grant assistance
• Mobile homes are not eligible unless they are secured on a permanent block or brick foundation and are not located in a mobile home park
• The homeowner must occupy the dwelling as his or her principal residence and may not own other houses/properties.
• The dwelling must have existing conditions that do not meet the County's Minimum Livability Code; all items must be brought up to code at completion of rehabilitation work.
• Homeowner must be willing to accept loan funding to supplement the grant award as necessary to meet the minimum code requirements.
• Homeowner must have acceptable credit or be willing to set up payment plans on any non-medical accounts in Collections. Judgments must be paid in full.
• Property taxes must be paid in full at time of application
• Priority is given to Senior Citizens, the Disabled and families with extremely low income and to houses with safety and/or health hazards.
• Grant terms are 5-15 years; no payment due back to County unless the property is sold or refinanced during the grant period. Grants are secured with a recorded property lien.
• The homeowner must occupy the dwelling as his or her principal residence and may not own other houses/properties.
• The family must be of extremely low income or have insufficient funds to make loan payments or the cost of lead abatement must exceed the assessed value of the dwelling.
• Home must be in an eligible census tract.
• House must be structurally sound.
• No minimum grant term, no repayment required if house is sold or refinanced 10% match required if family income is over 80% of the median.
• Home may be rural or in any incorporated township of Worcester County.
• Priority is given to dwellings having existing conditions that do not meet the County Minimum Livability Code; however, up to 40% of the work may be cosmetic in nature. All items must be brought up to code at the completion of rehabilitation work.
• Mobile homes are not eligible unless they are secured on a permanent block or brick foundation and are not located in a mobile home park
• The family must be of low to moderate income.
• Homeowner must have acceptable credit or be willing to set up payment plans on any non-medical accounts in Collections. Judgments must be paid in full.
• Interest rates are between 0% and 7%. Payments are scaled to family's ability to re-pay, loans may be completely deferred. Full loan balance due back to the State when property is sold. Full balance may be due if property is otherwise transferred or re-financed.
• Salisbury Neighborhood Housing Services offers the following services to Worcester County residents: budget and credit counseling, foreclosure counseling, homebuyers education classes and post-purchase workshops. For more information, please access the SNHS website at https://www.salisburynhs.org/
• Maryland Mortgage Program - The Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP) helps homebuyers achieve homeownership through a range of loan programs that make purchasing and owning a home more affordable. MMP home loans are available as either Government or Conventional insured loans. Government loans can be guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Rural Housing Service (USDA/RHS). MMP has a dual track product line that includes loan products for first-time homebuyers and flexible products that include assistance for down payments and closing costs. The program also offers some specialty loans for specific types of borrowers (with student debt or purchasing in a particular location). Product enhancements may also be available (special assistance grants or mortgage credit certificates).
• Maryland Housing Toolbox - This toolbox was developed from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Housing Needs Assessment. It is a downloadable spreadsheet that includes approximately 70 housing[1]related actions. Each action has an overview, implementation considerations, and beneficiaries. This toolbox was developed to help communities shape housing framework and future policies.
• Local Resources - Worcester County receives grant funding of $300,000 every two years through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, administered through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). These funds enable Worcester County to provide grants to support rehabilitation activities to approximately 12 to 15 low- to moderate-income homeowners living in substandard housing units. Grant funds are supplemented through the Special Loans Program offered by DHCD; additionally, the county partners with Shore Up! Inc. to cover the cost of weatherization and other energy saving measures. Referrals are made to Chesapeake Housing Mission for the construction of handicap accessible ramps where these are needed. Through DHCD’s Operation Rebuild, the County is assisting in the replacement of 10 dwelling units as of 2024. This program assists owner-occupied single-family homeowners by providing low interest loans to replace their substandard home with one that meets current building codes and standards. In 2024, Worcester County received a $50,000 grant from DHCD to update the 2004 Housing Study and Affordable Housing Report. It is intended to provide recommendations that will allow the County to develop a housing program to improve existing housing stock and target areas identified therein, so that funds can be used for the highest and best use to provide a greater supply of affordable housing.