• Grants aid in the construction of low income housing.Hard working construction worker at a construction scene. image by Andy Dean from Fotolia.com
  
  Federal agencies offer a wide array of grants to local governments, nonprofit organizations and other entities to assist in the construction, renovation and maintenance of housing projects for homeless or low-income families. Grants can be designed for the benefit of the public as a whole, or specifically intended for a specific group, such as veterans or the elderly.
  
  

Homeless Providers Grant Program

• The Homeless Providers Grant Program offers a specific grant to eligible local governments, nonprofit organizations, housing authorities and Native American tribes for the purpose of constructing housing facilities for homeless military veterans. The VA Grant Program is expected to award a total of 40 grants totaling $24 million. According to grants.gov, this grant cannot be used for any refurbishments or renovations of existing facilities, as it is solely intended for construction efforts, but there are additional per diem grants intended for renovations.
  
  

Assisted Housing Stability and Energy and Green Retrofit

• This grant program is designed for housing projects already receiving funds through a federal agency. With a total program funding of $250 million, this program awards grants of varying amounts for the renovation, preservation and energy-smart retrofitting of housing units designed for low-income families. Funds appropriated under the Assisted Housing Stability and Energy and Green Retrofit program must be spent within 2 years of award receipt.
  
  

Farm Labor Housing Grant Program

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Program offers grants to farmers, nonprofit organizations, farmers' associations and other specified entities to cover up to 90 percent of the cost of construction of housing, daycare and community facilities for farm laborers in rural areas. According to rurdev.usda.gov, this grant extends to all types of farm laborers, including those working on the water in industries such as oyster farming. A loan program with a 1 percent interest rate is also available for organizations that have been declined grant funding.
  
  

HOPE VI Main Street Program

• The HOPE VI Main Street Program offers approximately $4 million in grants to local governments for the purpose of restoring and preserving historic "main street"-type areas with vacant commercial space. The grant is offered for the purpose of renovating unused commercial space into affordable housing units, and to enhance the overall economic stability of the area.
  
  

State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program

• This grant is intended specifically for use by state governments and state veterans' housing facilities. Unlike the VA grant, the State Veterans Home Construction Grant is available for construction expenses as well as general refurbishment and of housing projects for military veterans. With a total program fund pool of $85 million, 25 grants at a minimum of $400,000 each are expected to be awarded by the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Under the terms of this grant program, funding received may not exceed 65 percent of the total cost of the specific housing project.