It’s better to ask for help early than to wait until a needed home repair has gotten out of hand, said Danielle Streur, the city of Holland’s home repair program manager.

The city is drawing attention to its home repair program, funded by federal Community Development Block Grant money every year. Although the federal government strictly regulates how that money can be used, one option is to help homeowners when an unexpected repair is needed.

“It doesn’t have to be an emergency,” Streur said. “If your roof needs work, don’t wait until it starts to leak.”

The program cannot help with new floors or painting, she said, but it can be used for “any project you would need for house to function properly.”

The city has participated in the Community Development Block Grant program for 25 years, according city documents. In that time, it has helped to complete more than 1,500 projects, including about 70 in the past decade such as new roofs, furnaces, plumbing, electrical, insulation, windows and siding.

There are income guidelines based on the size of the family. A four-person household can have a total income up to $52,250, Streur said.

Each family that qualifies is eligible for up to $4,000 in help, she said. When a repair is needed, the program will pay half the job cost up to that $4,000. If another repair is needed later, the homeowner can go back to apply for more assistance as long as the other repair was less than $4,000, Streur said.

There are other guidelines for qualification also. The property must be a single-family, owner-occupied home and the taxes, home insurance and mortgage must be up to date, among other things.

For more information visit cityofholland.com or call Streur at (616) 355-1338.