It’s important to know that you have places to go to for housing help. If you or someone you know is struggling to find a safe and decent place to live, read below to learn more about the options you have.
Housing Choice Voucher Program
This Section 8 program provides key assistance to low-income families to afford clean and safe housing. The types of housing can include single-family homes, apartments, and townhouses. Keep in mind that this is not only housing in subsidized projects. For more information about the program, visit the Housing Choice Voucher Program website.
Public Housing Agencies
In order to get a voucher for the Housing Choice Voucher Program, families must contact their local Public Housing Agency (PHA). Once a family receives the voucher, they are responsible for finding a qualifying housing unit that the owner has agreed to rent under the program. Payments are made by the PHA directly to the landlord, and the family is responsible to pay the difference of the actual rent charged by the landlord.
How To Qualify
It’s simple. To be eligible for Housing Choice Voucher Program you must be able to prove that you have low income and in need of a safe and clean place to live. If you need more assistance, go to Local Office Finder and type in where you live.
The Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance Program
This federal program has a huge amount of funding for emergency rental assistance to help people stay in suitable living conditions. The 2020 COVID-19 relief package gave the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program $25 billion in funding. On top of that, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided an extra $21 billion in emergency rental assistance. You can get help through this program at the local level. Any local government that has at least 200,000 residents provides assistance through this program, so this is one option you definitely want to consider. You can search for the city or county you live in by going to the National Low Income Housing Coalition website NLIHC.
Other Helpful Resources
- Salvation Army – They offer one-time rental assistance. Go to Salvation Army Housing.
- Modest Needs – Offers Self Sufficiency Grants to help cover emergency expenses. Go to Modest Needs for more information on their financial assistance.
- Catholic Charities – Catholic Charities supports affordable housing and has options available for you. Check out Catholic Charities.
- Housing Opportunities Made Easy Program – Also known as the HOME program, they have affordable housing assistance HOME Program.
Housing is a basic human need, and you should not have to worry about where you’re going to stay. So be sure to look into these important resources to learn more.
