Top Resources for How to Receive Rental Housing Assistance
Are you in need of rental housing assistance but don’t know where to start looking? You are not alone! Many people are in the process of overcoming temporary, difficult financial times and don’t know where to receive rental housing assistance. Thankfully, there are several helpful resources available to help you find the assistance you need. In this blog post, we’ll explore the top resources for how to receive rental housing assistance so you can get the help you need.
Housing Choice Voucher Program
The Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as Section 8, provides assistance to very low-income families to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. This includes single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments, and is not limited to units located in subsidized housing projects. The program is administered locally by Public Housing Agencies (PHAs).
A family issued a housing voucher is responsible for finding a suitable housing unit of their choice, and the landlord agrees to rent under the program. A housing subsidy is paid to the landlord directly by the PHA on behalf of the participating family. The family pays the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program. Eligible families may select any rental unit that meets the requirements of the program. It must meet minimum standards of health and safety, be reasonably priced and free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, ***, national origin, age or disability. Additionally, applicants must fall within certain income restrictions which vary depending upon family size, location and other factors.
To find local rentals in your state or learn how to apply, check out the Rental Assistance page on the HUD website. This page also has resources on counseling, advice on housing concerns, and information on your rights to fair housing and rights as a tenant.
USDA Rural Development Rental Assistance
The USDA Rural Development Rental Assistance Program provides payments to owners of USDA-financed Rural Rental Housing or Farm Labor Housing projects on behalf of low-income tenants unable to pay their full rent. This assistance can only be provided for apartments in new or existing Rural Rental Housing and Farm Labor Housing financed properties.
The Rental Assistance is coupled with an application for new construction financing under the Rural Rental Housing or Farm Labor Housing programs. An applicant must receive a commitment of Rental Assistance in order to qualify for a construction loan guarantee.
To find out more information, you can visit the USDA website. There is a Contact US tab where you can find your regional contact. You can also use their search tool to find Rural Rental Properties.
Emergency Rental Assistance
The Virginia Rent Relief Program (RRP) was designed to provide assistance and ensure housing stability during the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, all funding available for rental assistance through the Virginia Rent Relief Program has been exhausted as of October 14, 2022. All complete and eligible applications have been processed for payment and all outstanding applications that did not meet the state and federal eligibility criteria will not receive payment. There are no longer funds available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136) and from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) (P.L. 117-2) for rental assistance through the Virginia Rent Relief program.
If you are facing a potential eviction, please call 1-833-NOEvict (1-833-663-8428) or visit evictionhelpline.org for further assistance in finding other sources of help.
Local Rental Assistance
For those living in Richmond, Virginia, the City of Richmond Eviction Diversion Program is available to qualified City of Richmond residents who have received an unlawful detainer. This program provides one-time financial assistance to qualified individuals who are facing eviction and who demonstrate financial hardship. The required documentation to receive assistance includes a completed Eviction Diversion Program application, proof of income, proof of expenses, and proof of unlawful detainer filing. To apply for this program, please call (804)646-7373 or visit the City of Richmond’s website.
Housing Stability Workshops
HOME of VA, Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc., offers online educational workshops. Topics include reviewing responsibilities of tenancy, fair housing rights under Virginia law, how to prevent, manage, or overcome an eviction, and available housing stability resources.
Current Schedule for Tenants:
Classes are held every 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Thursday from 5:30-6:30pm. Use the link below to register.
Housing Counseling Assistance
HUD sponsors the Housing Counseling Assistance Program, which provides housing counseling and advice for free or low cost to citizens. Housing counseling assistance is available for current or prospective homeowners, those living in high-poverty communities, rural areas, condominiums, housing cooperatives, and those renting. Assistance is also available for those who are homeless/living in a shelter, in need of aid to obtain decent, safe, and/or sanitary housing, at risk for exposure to lead poisoning, have housing damaged by a presidentially declared disaster, live in public housing, have lost income due to a presidentially declared disaster or mandated closures, and live on an Indian reservation or in an Alaska Native village.
Housing counseling can provide information about the various types of housing assistance available, help applicants fill out paperwork, and provide guidance through the entire process. Additionally, housing counselors can assist with pre- and post-purchase education, offer assistance to struggling homeowners, assist with rental assistance, and work with landlords and tenants to mediate disputes. They can also advise families on how to budget, how to build credit, how to manage debt, and how to maintain long-term stability. Furthermore, they can also refer clients to other programs and services such as emergency rental assistance programs.
In some cases, there may be additional assistance that may be offered that can address any special needs or circumstances individuals may be facing. A variety of agencies across the country may offer services such as these; so it’s best to do your research and locate an agency that specializes in this type of assistance. With that said, it’s important to be proactive when seeking housing assistance – from researching programs you may qualify for ahead of time to consulting with professionals who specialize in these matters. Doing so will ensure you’re taking advantage of all the resources available to you and make finding suitable housing that much easier.
Visit the Talk to a Housing Counselor page to find a local agency.
Helpful Scriptures
The Cure for Anxiety (Matthew 6:25-34, Amplified Bible)
25 “Therefore I tell you, stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by worrying can add one [a]hour to [the length of] his life? 28 And why are you worried about clothes? See how the lilies and wildflowers of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin [wool to make clothing], 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory and splendor dressed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive and green today and tomorrow is [cut and] thrown [as fuel] into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Therefore do not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted), saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ 32 For the [pagan] Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; [but do not worry,] for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
