When people need help paying rent or keeping their utilities connected, they are usually told to apply for Section 8, LIHEAP, or call 211. Those resources are important, but they are not the only forms of assistance available.
Several federal housing programs provide money to states, counties, cities, housing agencies, and nonprofit organizations. These local organizations may then use the funding to help qualifying households with rent, deposits, utilities, moving expenses, homelessness prevention, and long-term housing.
The important thing to understand is that most of these are not nationwide programs with one central application. Availability, qualifications, funding, and application procedures depend on where you live.
Here are seven legitimate programs worth knowing about.
1. HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance—HOME TBRA
HOME TBRA stands for HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance. It is funded through HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program.
Unlike rental assistance attached to one specific apartment building, HOME TBRA generally follows the approved household. This may give participants more flexibility when selecting an eligible rental property.
What HOME TBRA may provide
Depending on the local program, assistance may include:
- A monthly rental subsidy
- Security-deposit assistance
- Utility-deposit assistance
- Help moving into an approved rental unit
- Housing-stability services
The household usually pays an income-based portion of the rent, while the program pays the approved remaining amount directly to the landlord.
Who may qualify?
HOME TBRA is generally intended for low-income households, but local governments can establish additional priorities. Some programs prioritize:
- Families experiencing homelessness
- Households at risk of homelessness
- People with disabilities
- Survivors of domestic violence
- Veterans
- Families with children
- People receiving SSI or Social Security benefits
Assistance may last for up to two years and may sometimes be renewed, but this depends on local rules and available funding.
How to apply
HUD does not process individual HOME TBRA applications. Contact your city or county housing and community-development department and ask:
“Does our community currently offer HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, and which organization accepts applications or referrals?”
You can also locate housing contacts through HUD’s state resource directory.
Learn more from the official HUD HOME program page CLICK HERE
2. Emergency Solutions Grants—ESG
ESG stands for Emergency Solutions Grants. HUD distributes ESG funding to states, cities, counties, and local organizations that assist people who are homeless or at serious risk of becoming homeless.
This is not the same ESG people discuss when talking about business investments. In this situation, ESG means emergency housing assistance.
What ESG may cover
Depending on the local provider and available funding, ESG may help with:
- Past-due rent
- Short- or medium-term rental assistance
- Rental application fees
- Security deposits
- Last month’s rent
- Utility deposits
- Certain past-due utility bills
- Moving expenses
- Housing-search assistance
- Case management
- Emergency shelter
- Rapid rehousing
Federal rules permit several types of housing-related expenses, but every local ESG provider does not necessarily offer all of them.
Who may qualify?
ESG is primarily for households that:
- Are currently experiencing homelessness
- Are living in a shelter or somewhere not meant for habitation
- Are fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or another dangerous situation
- Have received an eviction notice and meet the program’s definition of being at risk of homelessness
- Have extremely limited income and no safe housing resources
Simply having a low income or being behind on one bill does not automatically establish eligibility.
How to apply
People normally apply through a local homeless-services provider, coordinated-entry office, community-action agency, city government, county government, or participating nonprofit organization.
Ask specifically for:
- ESG homelessness-prevention assistance
- ESG rapid-rehousing assistance
- Coordinated Entry
- A housing-crisis assessment
Visit the official HUD ESG program page for additional information.
3. Continuum of Care—CoC
CoC stands for Continuum of Care. It refers to a local network that coordinates housing and services for people experiencing homelessness. It is also the name of the HUD program that funds many of those services.
A local CoC may include shelters, nonprofit organizations, housing agencies, healthcare providers, domestic-violence programs, government departments, and outreach teams.
What CoC funding may provide
Local CoC-funded projects may offer:
- Rapid rehousing
- Permanent supportive housing
- Rental assistance
- Transitional housing
- Help locating an apartment
- Security-deposit assistance
- Case management
- Mental-health or substance-use services
- Employment and benefits referrals
- Support for people with disabilities
Permanent supportive housing is generally designed for people who have experienced long-term homelessness and need continuing support to remain housed.
Who may qualify?
Eligibility depends on the project. Many CoC programs prioritize:
- People experiencing literal homelessness
- Chronically homeless individuals and families
- People with qualifying disabilities
- Survivors fleeing domestic violence
- People leaving institutions after previously experiencing homelessness
- Households with serious housing and service needs
How to apply
Most people do not complete an application directly with HUD. They enter through the community’s Coordinated Entry system.
Coordinated Entry assesses the household’s situation and determines which available programs may be appropriate. Placement is not guaranteed, and households with the most urgent needs may receive priority.
When contacting a shelter, housing agency, or local government, ask:
“How can I complete a Coordinated Entry housing assessment for Continuum of Care programs?”
Learn more through the official HUD Continuum of Care page.
4. HOME-American Rescue Plan—HOME-ARP
HOME-ARP is separate from ordinary pandemic stimulus payments. Congress provided this funding through the American Rescue Plan, but the money was allocated to participating state and local governments for longer-term housing activities.
Local HOME-ARP projects may still operate where money has been committed and remains available.
What HOME-ARP may provide
Local governments may use HOME-ARP funds for:
- Tenant-based rental assistance
- Affordable rental housing
- Supportive services
- Homelessness-prevention services
- Housing counseling
- Non-congregate shelters
- Security or utility deposits when permitted locally
- Assistance locating and maintaining housing
Who may qualify?
HOME-ARP primarily serves qualifying populations such as:
- People experiencing homelessness
- People at risk of homelessness
- Survivors fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking
- Veterans and qualifying veteran families
- Other households facing severe housing instability
How to apply
There is no national HOME-ARP application for individuals. Contact the local housing or community-development department and ask which organizations received HOME-ARP funds and whether they are currently accepting applications or referrals.
Read HUD’s official explanation under the HOME-ARP section of its affordable-housing programs page.
5. Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS—HOPWA
HOPWA stands for Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS. It is the only federal housing program specifically dedicated to the housing needs of people living with HIV or AIDS and their families.
What HOPWA may provide
Services vary by provider but may include:
- Tenant-based rental assistance
- Short-term rent assistance
- Mortgage assistance
- Utility assistance
- Security deposits
- Permanent housing placement
- Emergency or transitional housing
- Supportive services
- Housing case management
Some HOPWA providers offer short-term rent, mortgage, and utility assistance—often called STRMU—to help eligible households avoid homelessness.
Who may qualify?
A household generally must:
- Include at least one person living with HIV or AIDS
- Meet local income requirements
- Live within the provider’s approved service area
- Meet the requirements for the particular type of assistance requested
Medical or HIV-status documentation may be required, but participating agencies must follow privacy and confidentiality rules.
How to apply
Contact your state or local health department, HIV-service organization, Ryan White provider, or local HOPWA agency. Ask whether rental, utility, deposit, or permanent-housing assistance is currently available.
Learn more from the official HUD HOPWA program page.
6. Supportive Services for Veteran Families—SSVF
SSVF stands for Supportive Services for Veteran Families. The Department of Veterans Affairs awards funding to nonprofit organizations that help very-low-income veterans and their families obtain or maintain stable housing.
What SSVF may provide
Depending on eligibility and local funding, assistance may include:
- Past-due rent
- Temporary rental assistance
- Utility payments
- Security and utility deposits
- Moving expenses
- Emergency housing assistance
- Transportation assistance
- Childcare assistance
- Housing-search assistance
- Case management
- Help obtaining VA and public benefits
Payments are generally temporary and are made as part of a housing-stability plan.
Who may qualify?
SSVF generally serves very-low-income veteran families who:
- Are currently homeless
- Are living in temporary housing
- Are at imminent risk of losing their housing
- Need short-term help to obtain or maintain permanent housing
A veteran does not necessarily need to be receiving VA disability compensation to ask for an eligibility screening.
How to apply
Contact a local SSVF-funded organization or call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838. The call center is available 24 hours a day.
Visit the official VA homeless-programs website for information and local assistance.
7. Community Development Block Grant Emergency Assistance—CDBG
CDBG stands for Community Development Block Grant. HUD provides CDBG funding to eligible cities, counties, and states for community-development activities that benefit low- and moderate-income residents.
CDBG is not automatically a personal cash-assistance program. However, local governments may choose to use part of their funding for qualifying emergency public services.
What locally funded CDBG assistance may cover
When authorized by the local government, CDBG-funded emergency assistance may include limited help with:
- Rent
- Mortgage payments
- Utilities
- Temporary housing
- Emergency food
- Housing counseling
- Homelessness prevention
- Rehabilitation of unsafe housing
- Other urgent household needs
Not every city or county uses its CDBG allocation for direct household assistance. Some use all of it for neighborhood improvements, public facilities, housing rehabilitation, or nonprofit projects.
How to apply
Contact your city or county community-development department and ask:
“Does the current CDBG Action Plan include emergency rent, mortgage, utility, or homelessness-prevention assistance for residents?”
Also ask for the names of any nonprofit organizations receiving CDBG funds to serve households directly.
Visit HUD’s Community Development Block Grant information page to learn more.
How to Find the Correct Local Provider
Because these programs are locally administered, searching only the program’s acronym may lead to outdated pages or applications from another state.
Use these steps:
- Call 211 and request housing-crisis or homelessness-prevention assistance.
- Contact your city or county housing and community-development department.
- Ask whether the community currently funds HOME TBRA, ESG, HOME-ARP, CDBG emergency assistance, HOPWA, SSVF, or CoC programs.
- If you are homeless or facing immediate homelessness, request a Coordinated Entry assessment.
- Contact your local public housing agency, even if its regular Section 8 waiting list is closed. The agency may know about special-purpose vouchers or referral-based programs.
- Ask whether funding is currently available, whether applications are open, and whether a referral is required.
You can also:
- Visit HUD’s state resource directory
- Use the HUD Resource Locator
- Visit 211.org
- Contact HUD for homelessness resources through its official contact page
Documents You May Need
Requirements vary, but applicants may be asked to provide:
- Government-issued identification
- Social Security cards or numbers
- Proof of household income
- Current lease
- Eviction or past-due-rent notice
- Utility shutoff notice
- Recent bank statements
- Proof of homelessness or current living situation
- Disability verification when required
- Veteran discharge documents
- Documentation showing HIV status for HOPWA
- Information about everyone living in the household
Gathering these documents before calling may make the screening process easier.
Important Warnings
These programs are legitimate, but assistance is never guaranteed.
Funding may be limited, applications may close without much notice, and some programs accept people only through referrals. Eligibility in one city does not mean a household will qualify for the same program somewhere else.
Never pay a random person to “guarantee” approval for government rental assistance. Use official government agencies, recognized nonprofit organizations, public housing agencies, or providers identified by your local Coordinated Entry system.
Also remember that ESG, CoC, HOME-ARP, CDBG, and HOME are often names of the funding sources—not necessarily the names displayed on the local application. A nonprofit may operate a rental-assistance program under a completely different local name while using one of these federal grants behind the scenes.
The smartest question to ask is not simply, “Do you have rental assistance?”
Ask:
“Which locally funded homelessness-prevention, rapid-rehousing, tenant-based rental-assistance, deposit-assistance, or utility-assistance programs are currently accepting applications or referrals?”
That question may uncover assistance most people never knew to request.
For more helpful resources and practical information, visit TheResourcePlug.com.
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