REALTORS® Property Crisis Fund

Bridging the gap for those in our community facing housing disasters.

100% of your tax-deductible donations stay right here in West Michigan helping those in need. The Greater Regional Alliance of REALTORS® donates all administrative overhead. Not one penny of your donations is spent on administrative expenses.

Dollars Paid Out

Counties Served

Our Why

Your home is your happy place and your haven, but occasionally events beyond your control might make it difficult to retain your home, may displace you from your home, or lead to costly repairs or modifications. In instances like these, West Michigan communities pull together and support each other. It’s who we are.

It was in this spirit in which the REALTORS® Property Crisis Fund was created.

Areas of Assistance

The Crisis Fund provides assistance to individuals, families, or non-profit agencies located in: Allegan, Barry, Clinton, Eaton, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Ottawa counties.

Grants typically range from $500 to $2,500 based upon the most immediate needs of the applicant.

Disaster response and relief assistance related to housing

Disability-adaption projects that create refurbished housing

For purposes of the Crisis Fund, a disaster is defined as a sudden and terrible event that results in serious property damage, such as a fire, flood, tornado, environmental hazard, etc.

The process for

Submitting a Grant Request

Timeframe for Submission of Applications:
Applications for Crisis Fund assistance must be submitted within six (6) months of the unforeseen event that created the financial hardship. The Crisis Fund Committee may, at its discretion, extend the application deadline by up to an additional six (6) months if the applicant demonstrates that they made a good-faith effort to resolve the hardship during the initial six-month period and subsequently determined that Crisis Fund assistance was needed.

Please fill out the application below and email to pamv@grar.com or mail to:

Greater Regional Alliance of REALTORS®
660 Kenmoor Avenue SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Along with your application, please attach the following information to your request (if applicable or available):

An incident report from the local authorities.
Photos of the damage.
A copy of your insurance policy.
A copy of your mortgage statement or lease agreement.
Any other information that would assist the Crisis Fund in its consideration of your request.

After submitting an application

What's Next?

Upon receipt of a grant request, the Crisis Fund will respond to requests within approximately two weeks from the date of submission (or sooner).

If your grant is approved:

In instances where work is performed, the funds will most likely be paid directly to a licensed and insured contractor (as identified by the grant applicant) upon receipt of an invoice.
Responsibility for Gift Cards Awarded – When a Crisis Fund grant is awarded in the form of a gift card, the grant recipient is responsible for maintaining possession and control of the gift card. Gift cards are considered the property of the recipient once issued and should be treated as cash. Gift cards will not be replaced if they are lost, stolen, or damaged. Recipients are encourage to store gift cards securely and use them in a timely manner to prevent loss or misuse. By accepting a Crisis Fund grant in the form of a gift card, the recipient acknowledges responsibility for safeguarding the card and understands that the Crisis Fund cannot provide a replacement.

Who the Crisis Fund

Has Helped

This is just a sampling of the assistance that has been provided to West Michigan residents in need. The circumstances surrounding each application are unique and one grant doesn't necessarily set precedent for another. Rather, the Crisis Fund Task Force reviews the situation, insurance coverage, level of assistance from other organizations, and more when making its determinations.

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TOM & ANNE

TRAVIS AND ELLIE

To assist with two months of rent due to family being displaced after a fire in their Rockford home.

Assisted a family of six in Comstock Park with replacing personal items, clothing, and food lost in a house fire. A spark started a fire in the garage where a propane tank was stored. The propane tank exploded, and the whole house was destroyed.

A family in Grand Rapids was assisted with replacing personal items, clothing, and food lost in a house fire. A lightning strike started a fire in the garage. The garage was destroyed and the smoke damage traveled throughout the entire home. The family was relocated to a hotel while the insurance company repairs the damage. (Grand Rapids)

Grandville residents were assisted with replacing personal items, clothing, and furniture lost in an apartment fire. The fire started in the kitchen after a pan of grease was ignited on the stove, quickly spreading.

A family of seven in Grand Rapids received assistance in replacing personal items, clothing, and furniture lost in an apartment fire. Also, to pay for security deposit and first month’s rent. The fire started in the downstairs unit in an electrical panel, it quickly spread through the entire building. It was a complete loss.

A homeowner in Grand Rapids received a grant to cover the purchase and installation of new overhead garage doors after a tree fell on the unattached garage during a thunderstorm. Her homeowner’s insurance did not cover damage to out buildings.

A homeowner in Jenison received a grant to assist with the cost of repairs to her roof that was damaged by heavy snow and ice. The damage to her roof was not fully covered by her homeowner’s insurance.

The owner of a condominium unit received a grant to replace a sliding glass door that was damaged during heavy spring flooding and was not covered by homeowner’s insurance.

A family of 11 in Hudsonville received a grant to assist with repairs necessary to obtain a temporary occupancy permit following a fire in their home. At the time they applied, they were living in two travel trailers in their driveway.

A family of 4 in Grand Rapids received a grant to assist in locating alternate housing after their rental home was lost to a fire. The family did not have renter’s insurance.

The residents of a low-income, independent living facility for developmentally disabled adults in Grand Rapids received a grant to assist with the replacement of personal belongings after they experienced a raw sewage back up into their lower level apartments. Insurance covered the structure, but not personal belongings.

A family of 4 in Middleville received a grant to assist with temporary housing (security deposit and two month’s rent) after the home that they owned was lost to a fire.

A family of 4 in Lake Odessa received a grant to cover the cost of demolition and removal of their mobile home from a park after it was lost to a fire. The family was unaware that their homeowner’s insurance had lapsed and that they had no insurance coverage at the time of the fire.

A family of 6 in Hudsonville received a grant to cover 1/2 of their insurance deductible after a tree fell on their home during a severe thunderstorm. The family had homeowner’s insurance, but extenuating circumstances caused the $1,000 deductible to be a financial hardship.

A family in Clarksville received a grant in the form of a Meijer gift card that enabled them to replace clothing and other personal belongings following a fire in their home. The family had homeowner’s insurance, which would reimburse for expenses after a deductible had been paid, but the initial out of pocket expenses were a hardship.

Two families in Cedar Springs received a grant in the form of Visa gift cards and Meijer gift cards after a fire in their apartment complex. The families lost clothing, furniture, kitchen items, bedding, and personal items in the fire. The gift cards assisted in replacing the lost items.

A family in Grand Rapids received a grant after the home they were renting was destroyed in a fire. A Visa gift card was issued to assist in replacing household items lost in the fire. The family had renters insurance, but extenuating circumstances caused the $500 deductible to be a financial hardship.

A family in Rockford received a grant to cover the cost of waterproofing and repairing their basement that continued to flood every time it stormed, causing significant damage.

A mother and her two children in Grand Rapids received a grant in the form of a Visa gift card that enabled them to replace matresses and furniture following a fire in their apartment. The family had just recently purchased a new home and were preparing to move when the fire destroyed everything they owned.

A family of 4 in Lake Odessa lost their home to a fire in early 2024. This is a one-income family with the husband serving on active duty in the military. The Crisis Fund was able to provide one month’s mortgage payment and provide Meijer gift cards for the replacement of personal belongings.

Several homes were damaged when a tornado tore through West Michigan in August of 2023. A family of 4 was displaced from their Comstock Park home after it was deemed unsafe due to the storm damage. In addition to the damage to the home, their vehicles were buried in the garage and many personal belongings were destroyed. The Crisis Fund was able to offer some financial assistance to help with the replacement of personal belongings.

A family of 4 experienced significant damage to their home in Comstock Park from a tornado (damaged roof, broken windows, siding torn off, and trees uprooted). The Crisis Fund was able to provide Meijer gift cards to assist with replacement of personal belongings and Lowe’s gift cards to assist with the home repairs.

A family of 5 in Wyoming experienced a fire that destroyed their electrical panel, furnace, and central air conditioning system. Many personal belongings were also destroyed as a result of smoke damage. A Lowe’s gift card was provided to assist with immediate needs and repairs.

A family of 5 in Grand Rapids received assistance with the replacement of personal belongings and computer equipment after a car fire in their driveway spread to their home and caused significant damage. The homeowner worked from home, so the loss of the computer equipment also caused loss of income temporarily.

A family of 3 in Hudsonville received $1,000 in Visa gift cards to replace personal belongings lost following a fire. The fire was caused by a lightning strike.

An individual in Grand Rapids had a very large tree fall on her home during a storm. The damage was extensive and she was displaced from the home. The Crisis Fund reimbursed her for the cost of having the tree removed and debris cleaned up.

Assisted a family of four who was living in a camper following a fire in their Pierson home.

How you can Support

Make a donation.