Rental Assistance Programs for Single Mothers & Low Income Households

Providing safe, affordable and easily accessible housing is crucial to the well being of all families. Clean housing is important for children to grow in while they attend school and while moms or dads work or attend job training. However, while the unemployment rate in the United States topped 9.1% as of August 2011, not all low income households can afford decent housing. In this article, we will overview some affordable housing and rental assistance programs from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other private charities that allow clients to live in housing that has reduced rents. If you own your home and are having trouble making mortgage payments or are in foreclosure, be sure to read on the Making Home Affordable program designed by the Obama administration specifically for you.

i) Rental Assistance HUD

Rental assistance programs and housing vouchers are provided by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to eligible low income families and single moms who fall below a prescribed federal poverty level. They also provide help in paying your utility bills and other housing costs including damage deposits. Each state has its own administered Rental Assistance program known as subsidized apartments. To apply, you have to visit the management office of the apartment building where you want to live and make a direct application. To search for subsidized apartment buildings by state, use this tool http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/topics/rental_assistance/local As an example, I selected Washington from this list, then selected Get Rental Help, Search for a Subsidized apartment. Below is a sample screenshot of my search which returned 2 results in Washington state and in Asotin county. Subsidized housing means the cost is shared between the state government and the tenant. The tenant will pay a reduced rent to the landlord who will fetch extra money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make for the shortfall.

ii) Tenant Based Housing Vouchers

Tenant based housing vouchers allow single moms or low income families to be able to live in decent clean and safe housing. Eligibility requirements for this program seem pretty strict, families must have incomes below 50% of median incomes in their area. To apply for public housing vouchers, you must contact a PHA office in your state, use this tool http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/pha/contacts Apply as soon as possible as there is a waiting list. The PHA will determine your family's total gross income and compare it with the HUD announced low-income limit. If your income falls below the prescribed limit and you are on top of the housing voucher list, your family will be granted housing vouchers. One advantage of receiving housing vouchers is that low income families can choose to live anywhere in the United States where there are tenant-based housing voucher programs.

iii) Social Serve - Search for Affordable Housing

If you do not qualify for subsidized housing from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or you want to explore other affordable housing options, then www.socialserve.com will be a good fit. Social Serve is an online housing search engine that lets you search for affordable housing across all 48 states. It also lets you search by major city in each state or by all cities. It will then output all housing options, name of the building, contact information and eligibility requirements include how much rent you will have to pay based on your median income. As an example, I did a search for affordable housing in Phoenix, Arizona and found over 200 properties available for rent. For more information, visit our article on Social Serve - Search for Affordable Housing.