How to Apply for Low Rent Housing Assistance
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers low rent or subsidized housing throughout the United States. Programs include the housing voucher or section 8, which allows you to find a place on your own and use a voucher towards rent. Other options include living in public housing communities that HUD manages or private housing that accepts HUD tenants. To receive low-rent housing, you must demonstrate legal status, such as U.S. citizenship.
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Instructions
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Find and contact your local public housing agency. HUD identifies agencies by state through its website (hud.gov) and provides addresses along with phone and fax numbers. Given the high amount of requests each agency receives, you might consider stopping by your local agency instead of spending time trying to get specific answers by phone.
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Select an appropriate program: housing voucher, private housing or HUD-managed housing. Low-rent programs target low-income families, senior citizens and people with disabilities. Eligibility is heavily based on your annual gross income and personal assets, which you must disclose along with supporting evidence like paycheck stubs or past tax returns. If you have low income but significant investments in stocks, bonds and real estate, you likely will not qualify. Some housing participants receive complete help in paying their rent, equivalent to free housing, though HUD usually contributes 70 percent of the rental amount.
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Submit a complete, legible application. Realize that most agencies have waiting lists that may exceed several years because of a growing gap between supply or resources and demands. Agencies also might give preferential treatment to families who are homeless, spending over 50 percent of income on rent or involuntarily displaced.
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Evaluate alternative housing sources. While HUD is a large federal agency that funds state programs, outside programs also exist. For example, the Community Action Partnership of Oregon (see Resources) is a nonprofit organization that works to fight poverty and provides various regional resources. Contact landlords directly and ask if they offer discounted housing. When vacant units are high, landlords might work with you even if you are not participating in a HUD program.
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Apply for assistance with utilities, such as water and or electricity services. Rules and requirements vary by state (e.g., one time or summer award), but assistance with utilities can lower your monthly housing costs. For example, LITE-UP Texas offers subsidized electricity from May through September. In Washington state, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides help during winter months.
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