If you feel you are struggling to pay for your housing, you are not alone. There are millions of people around the country who are having the same issue. They have a family they need to keep housed and yet paying the monthly rent bill is not within reach. This can lead to many people becoming homeless. It is important before it gets to that point to turn to programs that offer housing assistance for low income families.
The federal and state governments, along with some organizations, provide programs that help people pay for their housing. Some of them offer short term housing assistance, while others provide solutions that are more long term. There are several options available, so there is something that everyone can turn to for help. Plus, you rarely have to pay back any of the financial help, because it is not considered a loan.
There are only a few rare cases where the government will provide a low interest loan to help someone be able to buy a house, and then that would be paid back over time. These programs help families purchase a house, while they would otherwise not likely be able to do so under typical buying standards and procedures. Buyers would know about the loans going into it.
Housing Assistance Programs for Low Income Families
You can apply for more than one of these programs so you can see which ones you can get assistance from. By doing so, you should be able to get the help you need to keep your family in a home. These programs are designed to help ensure that families do not become homeless, so be sure to take advantage of them during times of struggle.
211 – No matter what type of financial assistance you need, you can turn to this number. Anyone around the country who needs financial help can call this number, which is a referral program offered by the United Way organization. Let them know where you live and what type of financial help you need. They have a referral database they will use to find programs in your local area that you can turn to. The service is free to use and open to anyone need. To get more information about the 211 program, click here.
Public Housing Authority – Every state has a public housing authority office that is in charge of helping people in the state with their housing needs. They also have offices in bigger counties most of the time. You can always contact your local or state public housing authority office to see what type of housing assistance programs they can refer you to. They have access to programs that help you with public housing options, low rent options, grants, and more. Their mission is to help reduce homeless in the state and county where they are located. To qualify for their programs you typically have to meet the low income requirements. To find a public housing authority office near you, click here.
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – The federal government created this agency in 1965 so that there was a specific office that helped people with their housing needs. Housing assistance has always been a big issue in the country, and HUD was created to help, with a mission of trying to reduce homelessness in the country. They have access to the most well funded assistance programs in the country, allowing them to help millions of people each year. They offer a variety of housing programs to help people who are struggling to get their rent and mortgage paid. They offer a housing voucher program that will help you pay for you rent, a public housing program, which will provide you with a place to live that the government owns, and they will provide you with help finding affordable housing options in the area where you live. Additionally, they will help people avoid foreclosure, and help pay for certain housing repairs, such as a water heater. Most of the assistance programs do not have a time limit on how long you can receive help through them. To qualify, for programs through HUD, you have to meet the low income criteria, as well as be a citizen or legal non-citizen. Each state has a HUD office that helps the people in that state. To find your state’s HUD office, click here.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) – Some people need a little bit of cash each month to help with their housing assistance and other bills. If this is you, then you may want to consider applying for TANF. This federally funded program is available in all states and is specifically designed to help low income families by providing them a monthly cash grant that does not ever have to be paid back. The funds can be used each month to play for things like housing, food, transportation, etc. They can go for most of your living expenses. To qualify for the program, you have to meet the low income requirements and be a citizen or legal non-citizen. In most states, the longest you can receive cash through the TANF program is for five years in your lifetime. To get more information, you should contact the TANF office in your state. To get more information, click here.
USDA Rural Development Program – If you are a low income family that lives in a rural area or you are willing to live in a rural area then this program may be of interest. This is a program by the federal government that helps low income families to buy a home, but it has to be located in a rural area. They give grants and loans, which will help people, purchase the home. While grants do not have to be paid back, the loans do. Your income and geographical location helps determine whether you are offered a grant or loan. This program helps make it possible for some low income families to purchase or fix up a home in a rural area. To qualify, you have to have a low or very low income. The program also makes it easier to purchase a home, because you will not have to have any money to put down. To get more information about the housing assistance program or apply for it, click here.
Catholic Charities – This faith-based organization offers locations in every state. They will provide housing assistance and other helpful programs for low income families, depending on the individual location. You can contact the locations in your area to see if they offer housing assistance or if they can refer you to a nearby program that does. Although the organization is faith-based you do not have to be religious to get help through them. To find a location near you, click here.
Salvation Army – This organization also has offices in every state and will provide a range of helpful programs for low income families. Contact the offices near you to see if they can help with your needs. To find an office near you, click here.
