The rent comes due every month, and sometimes finding the money to pay the bills and make rent isn’t easy, even with the best budgeting. Packing up and moving isn’t the best choice, since paying for deposits and first month's rent on a new dwelling costs more than coming up with the money due. When money gets tight and rent is due, there are places to help with rent payment assistance.
Rent Payment Assistance Programs
There are programs to help with rent assistance, and they vary from social to charitable, with different qualifying guidelines.
Some states or local municipalities fund emergency rental assistance through grants made available to or through the Office of Economic Development. These grants can offer a one-time assistance (or in many causes, it’s once per pre-set time period, such as only once per year, once every five years, etc., dependent upon the local guidelines). This is considered temporary grant assistance for families in economic crisis. Unexpected medical bills, unexpected house repair or car repair expenses, or a death or injury to a family member can all be legitimate reasons for qualifying for one of these one-time rent payment assistance programs.
Housing and Urban Development Assistance
The local Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency can also assist with more long-term rent payment assistance and for some residents, can also help with mortgage payment assistance for temporary financial strain to help a family keep their home. HUD can help a family without housing find a home, apartment or approved dwelling for both short and long-term housing solutions, as well as helping families who already have a home or apartment to keep it.
There are often waiting lists for assistance with HUD, so it’s important to get on the waiting list as quickly as possible when a family knows rent payment assistance is needed. In the meantime, HUD should be able to offer referrals and assistance with finding immediate help with paying rent, up to and including contacting the apartment complex or landlord to let them know HUD is considering rent payment assistance and asking them to delay their expectation for rent.
HUD might also offer other solutions to take the financial burden from other areas so more of the family’s budget can be spent on rent. For example, they might be able to help a family find utility bill assistance, medical bill assistance or help a family get supplemental nutritional assistance program funds through food stamps. When less of a family’s budget goes to paying these other bills, more money is left over for rent.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit and charitable organization that accepts donations of funds, time, materials and property to help people in need of housing to find affordable, safe and quality housing. Habitat for Humanity has helped build new homes as well as repairing and refurbishing older homes or homes that have been damaged by fire, flood or other disasters.
The best part about Habitat for Humanity is that it’s a hand up program and not a hand out, because the people who receive assistance turn around and help build homes for others and even help to build their own home. For more information about the Habitat for Humanity program to see if you or someone you know might qualify, or to donate or offer time to the program, visit the Habitat for Humanity website or contact your local chapter.
Churches and Other Charitable Organizations
Many of the larger churches have emergency funds to help people in need, and most of the time, that money is not reserved for only members of the church. If the church leaders have funds available and believe a need to be worthy, the church leaders or elders or the board or people assigned to manage these funds will review the situation and make an offer of assistance. To find rent payment assistance at a local church, simply pick up the phone and call. The church administrative staff should be able to acknowledge whether funds are available or not, or they might be able to make a referral to a church that does have fund available.
The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, Good Will, and other charitable organizations might have funding available to help with rent payment assistance. Most of these programs, however, focus more on short-term or one-time assistance that could help with other bills to free up more money for rent payments.
The best place to start is to look at the local Department of Human Services or the local agency that handles welfare applications. The people at this agency can offer the best referrals to the appropriate programs for rent payment assistance.
Michelle L Devon - ~~Michelle Devon has 15 years of writing and over a decade of editorial experience, working with hundreds of publications and ...
Join the Conversation