Federal Grants

Within the Neighborhood Services Division, the Federal Grants/Housing Assistance Subdivision oversees federal grants that fund programs benefiting Covington homeowners – including down payment assistance and emergency repairs – and help pay for improvements to infrastructure like roads, sidewalks, and parks.

It does this by engaging the public to help create an annual plan for those grants, primarily from the federal HOME and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs.

Homeowner Repair Program: Gives grants of up to $10,000 to help low-income homeowners with urgent repairs of conditions in their home that pose a threat to the life, health, and safety of people living there, such as certain electrical problems, plumbing issues, malfunctioning AC units and furnaces, leaky roofs, and wheelchair ramps.

You must apply online, and note you must create an account before you apply. If you need help accessing the online application or completing the application, contact Housing Development Specialist Archie Ice at (859) 292-2124 or aice@covingtonky.gov.

• Homeowner Repair Program Guidelines
• Homeowner Repair Program Guidelines (SPANISH)
• Before you get started
• Application Portal
• Previous news release: “City expands home repair program”

Homebuyer Assistance Loans: Gives deferred, forgivable loans of up to $15,000 to help low-income homebuyers with lender-required down payment and closing costs.

You must apply online, and note you must create an account before you apply. If you need help accessing the online application or completing the application, contact CDBG/HOME Program Coordinator John Hammons at (859) 292-2105 or jhammons@covingtonky.gov.

• NKY HOME Consortium (Covington, Ludlow, Erlanger, Independence, Florence, Newport, Bellevue and Dayton) Guidelines.     
• NKY HOME Consortium SPANISH Guidelines
• Before you get started
• Application Portal
• Previous news release: “Down payment assistance raised to $10K”

• Northern Kentucky HOME Consortium HOME-ARP Allocation Plan
• CDBG/HOME Consolidated Plan 2025-2029: The Five-Year Consolidated Plan assesses affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions and makes data-driven, place-based investment decisions. Its planning process serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities that align and focus funding from the CDBG and HOME programs.
• Covington Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025): The Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report details how the City used Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership Funds (HOME) from July 1, 2024, to  June 30, 2025.
• Public Survey:  Covington is asking residents how it should spend funds expected from the federal government this year for the through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME programs designed to help neighborhoods.
• Covington HOME Consortium Citizen Participation Plan: This plan outlines the process that the City will undertake to solicit community input into the development of the Five-Year Consolidated Plan, the Annual Action Plan, and the CAPER.
• DRAFT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT PY 2026 CDBG-HOME Annual Action Plan – DRAFT for Public Comment

• HUD
• CDBG
• HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME)
• Kentucky Housing Corporation
• Fair Housing in Kentucky
• Neighborhood Foundations (City of Newport and Campbell County)
• Housing Authority of Covington
• Catholic Charities
• Brighton Center
• HONK (Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky)