Grants from your municipality

Families with children, people with intellectual disabilities, and others in a difficult financial situation with a low and/or unstable income may be considered for a grant.

Municipalities may provide grants for:

• purchasing a home
• financing a newly built home
• improving a newly purchased existing home
• helping older people and persons with disabilities re-establish themselves in a suitable home
• refinancing where there is a risk that the home may be subject to a forced sale due to high housing costs

People with long-term financial difficulties are given priority. The amount of the grant is determined following an overall assessment of the applicant’s needs and the possibility of receiving support through other public assistance schemes.

A start-up loan will always be considered before the municipality decides whether to award a grant. The municipality assesses the need for a grant when you apply for a start-up loan. 

Application

Use the digital application form linked on this page.

You must have an electronic ID to apply. Read more about obtaining an electronic ID.

People with disabilities or reduced mobility who need to adapt their home in order to continue living there may apply for an adaptation grant.

The grant is awarded by the municipality. The amount awarded depends on the funds available in the municipality and an overall assessment of your financial situation, specific needs and opportunities to receive support from other public schemes.

Nav Assistive Technology Centres also offer a grant scheme that may be considered alongside a start-up loan and adaptation grant. In some cases, Nav may provide a grant instead of installing an assistive device. This may form part of a joint financing plan. Grants often provide better and more permanent solutions than lending assistive equipment. Read more about grants for home adaptations from Nav (nav.no).

What can the grant be used for?

The grant may be used for both minor adaptations and more extensive alterations, for example:

• external groundworks required to improve accessibility
• extensions or alterations to ensure all essential rooms are located on one level
• widening doorways, rooms or corridors, and replacing doors, including fire doors
• removing thresholds and threshold strips
• installing or preparing for welfare technology
• other work necessary to enable people with disabilities to continue living at home

Application

Use the digital application form linked on this page.

You may choose to apply only for a grant or to apply for both a grant and a start-up loan at the same time. You must have an electronic ID to apply. Read more about obtaining an electronic ID.

You may also combine an adaptation grant from your municipality with a home upgrade loan from the Housing Bank.

Do you or another member of your household have a disability or reduced mobility and need to adapt your home in order to continue living there? If so, you may apply for a grant to cover professional assessment and project planning services, for example from an architect.

The grant may cover the cost of professional assistance with assessments and project planning, including fees charged by an architect or other qualified professional.

An assessment may be used to identify:

• the opportunities and limitations of the home
• the outdoor area and access to the property
• accessibility within the home
• space requirements
• layout and usability, including whether the home can be adapted or whether moving to a more suitable home would be a better solution

The project planning should:

• propose measures to improve accessibility within the home
• identify effective solutions at a reasonable cost

The municipality must assess whether you have the financial means to carry out the work yourself or whether there is a need for a loan and/or grant from the municipality.

It is up to the municipality to decide who receives a grant and how much is awarded, based on an overall assessment of the applicant’s financial situation.

Grants for assessments and design work are often considered together with adaptation grants. An adaptation grant may be awarded to cover the actual work required to adapt your home to your needs.

Application Form

Application for a grant for assessments and project planning (PDF in Norwegian)

The grant is available in selected municipalities in Finnmark. These municipalities may award grants to residents who wish to buy, build, improve or adapt a home intended for year-round occupation.

The grant is available in the following municipalities:

• Berlevåg
• Båtsfjord
• Gamvik
• Hammerfest
• Hasvik
• Lebesby
• Måsøy
• Nesseby
• Nordkapp
• Porsanger
• Tana

You do not need to be eligible for a start-up loan to qualify for this grant. However, you must use the start-up loan application service to apply.

Follow these steps:

1. Log in to the start-up loan application service.
2. Select "Standard start-up loan".
3. Confirm your contact details.
4. Select the municipality you wish to apply to.
5. If the municipality you have selected offers this grant, tick the box to apply for the grant at the same time.

Although you must submit your application through the start-up loan application service, you may be awarded the grant without receiving a start-up loan. Your municipality will assess your eligibility for the grant when processing your application.