Emergency Housing Assistance To Help You Avoid Homelessness
Those struggling to meet housing costs in this highly inflationary period may be eligible for emergency government assistance to catch up on rent or mortgage payments.
Congress allocated more than $46 billion for emergency housing assistance through two stimulus programs. Of this, about $30 billion had been spent or pledged by the end of February. This means $16 billion remains available as of the latest report.
Special programs are also available for renters in rural areas and for Native American renters.
These programs provide a temporary, emergency fix. The other option for Social Security claimants who meet the income requirements for their city or neighborhood is to reduce their monthly housing costs by enrolling in programs created to solve persistent housing issues.
Emergency Rental Assistance programs
Congress approved $25 billion for emergency housing assistance in the Consolidated Appropriations Act and another $21.55 billion in the American Rescue Plan Act.
The money was distributed to state, local, territorial, and tribal agencies that provide housing services to meet local needs.
The intent was to assist lower-income Americans who fell behind on rent, mortgage payments, or utilities during the pandemic and the uncertain recovery period. Lawmakers also wanted to avoid a surge in evictions and foreclosures once the federal moratorium on evictions was lifted.
The aim of the program was to also stop Social Security recipients from having their monthly benefits decreased as a result of exceeding their SS income limits.
While funds remain for emergency housing assistance, the federal government has begun reallocating money from local districts without need to those with greater need.
The government also expects the money to be depleted sometime during the summer, so those in need should not delay seeking assistance.
Because the funds were distributed through state and local agencies, there is no single location to apply for assistance. Those in need should contact their local housing agency or similar agencies to learn how to apply for emergency rent, mortgage, or utility assistance.
State agencies that oversee housing services can also direct residents toward the proper agency to apply.
Federal housing assistance programs
For those struggling to pay rent, the federal Housing and Urban Development agency provides rental benefits on a long-term basis.
HUD provides three types of housing assistance through local housing agencies:
- Public housing: These rental units are owned by the local housing agency and rent is on a sliding scale based on income.
- Subsidized housing: Certain landlords agree to work with the local housing agency to provide rental units. The renter pays a share of the rent and the agency pays the remainder as a subsidy.
- Housing vouchers: The Housing Voucher Choice Program (previously known as Section 8) provides the renter a voucher that can be used to pay a portion of the rent on an apartment of their choice.
Eligibility for these programs is based upon where the individual’s income falls within the range of income in the community or region, plus what percentage of your income is going toward housing.
This means individuals who live in areas with a higher cost of housing might be eligible even though their income might be higher. With rent costs rising dramatically in some areas of the country, this could be an important factor for individuals whose income levels are lagging.
