Rent Assistance for Single Mothers

Being a single mother is one of the hardest jobs in the world, and it is only getting harder now that the cost of rent is skyrocketing. If you are a single mother who is struggling to pay rent for her family, these are some of the resources that you can consider using to make ends meet and get your rent paid on time.

Many of these resources come from programs that are sponsored by federal or state governments. However, there are also some resources in this list that are formed by charities meant to help people who are struggling to make ends meet.

Emergency Solutions Grants

One of the programs that you can consider if you are a single mother looking for rent assistance is the Emergency Solutions Grants. This is a program that is meant to provide emergency shelter for families that are struggling, and to get homeless people off of the streets by providing them with a place to live.

This is a program that is administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. If you are interested in getting help from this program, you can go on the Department of Housing and Urban Development website to find a program near you.

Camillus House Grants

If you are a single mother who is struggling with homelessness and needs immediate assistance, the Camillus House Grants are a good option to consider. This is an organization that can help you if you are struggling with food, clothing, water, or shelter. They also sometimes provide resources for things like job training, substance abuse treatment, and healthcare.

You can submit an online form through the Camillus House Grants website, or you can call to get more information.

Low Income Housing Tax Credits

The Department of Housing and Urban Development also offers a program called the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. If you are a single mother struggling with rent assistance, you can find the forms and the tax credit information on the department’s website.

National Low Income Housing Coalition

The National Low Income Housing Coalition is another option that single mothers can consider if they are struggling to pay their rent.

Family Unification Program

The Family Unification Program is another program that is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This program is focused on keeping families together across America.

They do this by providing Housing Choice Vouchers, which help people with things like rent, education, and career training.

Housing and Community Facilities Program

Single mothers who are struggling to support their families and pay their rent can get help from the Housing and Community Facilities Program. This aid sometimes consists of loan guarantees, direct loans, and also grants. These funds include direct assistance and funds to help develop local community facilities.

If you are interested in this program, you can find a Rural Development office in your area by visiting the US Department of Agriculture website.

United Way Emergency Food and Shelter Program

One of the missions of the United Way is to alleviate the struggle to afford housing. They do this through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. This program provides a safe environment for homeless and low income people to find food and shelter.

Although they usually do not offer direct rent assistance, they can help single mothers pay their rent by alleviating other expenses they face, particularly food expenses. This will free up more money to pay for rent.

Vision House Housing Grants

Single mothers can find housing assistance through the Vision House Housing Grant program. This program exists to help families that are struggling to find affordable rental housing. This program can also be used to find transitional housing, permanent housing, and even assistance with quickly relocating.

Rural Rental Assistance

The Department of Agriculture sponsors the Rural Rental Assistance program. This program builds apartments in rural areas, for low-income tenants. If you are a single mother living in a rural area and are struggling to support your family, this is a good option to look into to get assistance.

Section 8 Vouchers

One of the most helpful programs that can assist single mothers struggling to pay their rent is the Section 8 Voucher program.

This consists of low income renters receiving a voucher These voucher payments can then be used as part of their rent payments. They submit the vouchers to their landlord, and then the landlord in turn sends the vouchers to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Section 8 is a good option to consider if you need to find help with your rent payments. Sometimes you can even use these vouchers to help you purchase a home.

Other advantages of using Section 8 vouchers is that not only will they reduce the amount of rent that you have to pay, they still give you the freedom to choose where you want to live.

Under federal law, three quarters of the funds for Section 8 must go to families that earn less than thirty percent of the median income in that area. This means that eligibility requirements for Section 8 housing will vary from location to location. The size of one’s family is also a factor.

Subsidized Housing

Another way that the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development helps to alleviate the burden of renting is through subsidized housing. This is one of the most common ways that single mothers can get help with their rent payments.

This is a program where the government gives money directly to property owners. These property owners are then able to use that money to lower the cost of renting their property. This assistance is usually available to low-income families, but they also offer assistance to senior citizens, people with disabilities, and individuals with a low income.

State Sponsored Housing

While the federal government offers subsidized housing in some communities, there is another form of subsidized housing that is sponsored by individual states. This is similar to the subsidized housing that the federal government offers, but the state sponsored housing is sometimes more flexible than the federally funded subsidized housing.

Public Housing

Public housing is one of the main ways that the United States federal government tries to alleviate the price of housing in America. This program is sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and some of these public housing communities also offer community events, parenting classes, and financial advice.

Public housing does sometimes have a bad connotation because these communities are often thought of as being in neighborhoods with high crime rates. Another downside to living in a public housing community is that it is harder to move to a different location if you need to relocate.

Final Thoughts

The cost of renting a home keeps going up and up. This is a problem for everyone, but single mothers are especially likely to feel this strain, because they are trying to support their families on just one income.

However, there are options available that can help people who are trying to get by. Some of these are religious charities that primarily focus on helping single mothers. There are also government funded programs that provide rental assistance.

Learn more about Grants and Government Assistance Programs for Single Mothers.