As a single mom, when your income is the only money coming into the household, it can be difficult to find an affordable place to stay for you and your family.
Staying with family or friends until you get back on your feet is usually a great option but if you long for more independence or if that option isn’t available to you, there are still other ways to secure affordable housing.
The government offers several housing solutions for single moms who need it and there are also some housing solutions that aren’t funded by the government. This post is part 1 of a 3-part housing help series dedicated to single parents.
Today I will cover all the details about government housing assistance options and share some helpful resources. First thing is first though:
Getting over Your Pride
Government funded housing assistance varies from state, region, county and city. Each year, states provide numbers that help determine low income limits based on family size, geographic area, and the median income range in that area. This helps establish a criteria to ensure the people who need help receive it.
There has almost always been a negative stigma attached to government housing assistance programs. I want to make it known that the programs mentioned below are in place so that people can utilize them.
While a small number people may abuse the system, the government’s assistance provides hundreds of thousands of families with affordable housing in nice areas with good schools and great job opportunities.
For single moms with a lower income, this means having a clean and affordable place to raise your kids. It doesn’t matter what people think if you receive government assistance for housing, food or medical care. If you choose to utilize government assistance for affordable housing, it should only be a temporary decision anyway and allow you enough time to get back on your feet and move on to bigger and better things.
I’d be lying if I said all government funded housing options are equal. Even with government assistance you still have the right to choose where you live so you don’t have to settle for housing that’s in a bad area or doesn’t meet the standards you set for yourself and your kids.
There are quality options out there that are just as good as regular housing options and if you have to move cities or counties to be placed in a better apartment, town home, or single-family home, it will definitely be worth it.
Income-Based Housing
If rent and the cost of living in your area are too high to afford, you can see if there are any low income housing programs in your area. Low income housing, also referred to as income-based or subsidized housing, is offered through specific public and private apartment complexes and townhouses allowing tenants to only be responsible for paying rent that amounts to approximately 30 percent of their monthly gross income.
If you are a student or pay for childcare, your rent rate can possibly be reduced even more. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) makes this possible by covering the rest of the tenant’s rent amount.
In order to qualify, your income needs to prove that you can’t afford to pay the market rent rate in your area and cover other housing related expenses. Only applicants with low incomes compared to state and Federal regulations will qualify. Once you are approved, you will most likely be put on a waiting list that operates on a first-come first-served basis. When a unit is available based on your preferences, you will receive a call to confirm if you are still interested.
Waiting list times can range anywhere from 6 months to 3 years or more. To learn more about income-based housing or to see if you qualify, you can find more information on the HUD’s website.
It’s important to only utilize income-based housing if you truly need it. Most programs are strict and the landlord is required to raise your rent if your income increases substantially.
This is what happened to me when I decided to try income-based housing for a few months. I wasn’t making that much money at the time and I got accepted into a very nice subsidized housing 2-bedroom apartment. It was just like living in a regular market rate apartment. My neighbors were really nice, the property manager kept up with the units and the grounds and it was overall a nice place to live.
When I found a new job that almost tripled the income I was making before, I reported my income and my rent rate skyrocketed. I decided to move because my new rent rate would not differ that much from market rate.
Section 8 Housing
Section 8 Housing is very similar to low income housing where you will only be required to pay a portion of your rent, but with Section 8 you receive a voucher and have more flexibility to choose where you live. The application process for Section 8 is much more detailed and rigorous than with low income housing and it often takes a longer time to get approved for a housing voucher.
Applications are completed by county and you’ll need to apply when your county’s waiting list is open. An applicant can be on the waiting list for Section 8 Housing anywhere from 1 year to 5+ years so it’s a good idea to have a backup plan.
When you get approved for Section 8, you’ll have to take your voucher to a landlord at an apartment, townhouse or single family home that accepts Section 8.
After you live in the county where you were granted your Section 8 voucher for one full year, you’ll be eligible to move out of the county or even out of state if you choose and take your voucher with you.
Again, the amount of financial assistance you receive each month can vary if your income increases or decreases.
The Operation HOPE Home Buyers Program
Operation HOPE helps single moms with lower incomes secure an affordable mortgage through its Home Buyer’s Program. HOPE was established in 1992 and has partnerships with private sector companies, non-profit organizations, schools and government entities.
When you sign up, you’ll be prompted to attend a workshop that provides an overview of the process along with housing counseling to help overcome any issues like debt, bad credit, low savings etc.
Operation HOPE provides the following services to prospective home buyers:
- Loan products from FDIC-insured financial institutions
- FHA loan programs
- Down Payment Assistance programs
- First time home-buying programs for people with low or moderate incomes
- And more!
Operation HOPE has offices located in various major cities throughout the country. For more information about their program, be sure to check out their website.
Shelter Plus Care Program
If you or someone you know is a single mother with a disability, the Shelter Plus Care Program may be a helpful housing option. Recently the Shelter Plus Care Program has been consolidated with the Supportive Housing Program and Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation SRO Program into a single grant program known as the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program.
Under this new grant program, the government intends to help homeless or near homeless and disabled individuals and their families establish stable and affordable housing. Various different types of rental assistance options are offered through the program and applicants get to choose their own housing units.
For more information about this program, check out the HUD Exchange website.
USDA Rural Development Housing Assistance
If residing in a large city has never been your preference, there may be a government program to provide you with housing assistance. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Rural Development has a program to help low-and-moderate-income households the opportunity to own a safe and modest single family home in a rural area.
To be approved you must meet income eligibility requirements, be a U.S. citizen and contact an approved lender. Eligible applicants will have the ability to build, rehabilitate and improve upon a dwelling in an eligible rural area if they wish.
I love how this program lets you pick your house in a sense by utilizing ‘eligible address search’ feature to determine is the property your interest in will qualify for the program. To learn more about how the program works and review eligibility requirements, please check out the USDA Rural Development website.
There is a wide variety of housing help for single moms out there to help you get back on your feet. If you have any questions or feedback about the options listed here, please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
This is a really great article and I’m glad that you wrote this. This is a subject that a lot of women don’t want to talk about, but for a lot of single moms some of these options can be a savior. I’m glad that you touched the pride thing for when it comes to the kids, pride needs to be left at the front door. Loved it Chonce!
I agree, Pride and not wanting to ask for help can hold you back from getting ahead. Glad you enjoyed the post Petrish!
maybe I got to much I need help
I agree with Petrish. There’s such a bad stigma around receiving help. It makes me crazy. Everyone falls on hard times if getting assistance can help turn someone’s life around they need to do it! My mom moved into government housing after my parents got divorced for about a year. There’s no shame in it.
Great post!
Government assistance is what my mother used growing up a lot. It’s difficult as a single mother, especially now with rent being outrageous. I just recently, myself, applied for Section 8 with my county. It’ll take 6 months to a year for it to start, but I am very thankful my mom is helping me out as best she can.
That’s great that your mom is able to help you out during this time, and I hope everything works out. Rent rates are pretty crazy these days and that’s why I try to stay in an affordable area and live below my means.
We applied for section 8 here in cook county over 2 years ago. My son is disabled I was out of work at the time.We were denied. I tried again we were still denied. If you are white female with 1 child forget it. Now we are verge of being in the street because the landlord sold the building from under us and doesn’t care that we have no money and no place to go. And that kicker is we can’t go to a shelter because with my son’s disease he his immune system is suppressed. And his disease is active right now. Thanks government for helping us out.
Really great post. In my area, the wait list for Section 8 became 7 years long ! This was about 2010 – 2011. Finally, they quit taking any names at all. No one new has been able to get on assistance for years ! Just last month, they took names again. There was a raffle to be put on the wait list.
I don’t like to hear people say how single moms get all this financial aide etc … they have no idea hou much of it is not funded or the programs are closed. There is a myth that folks are getting free rent, free utilities, free food, free medical. I don’t know of any place in the country that actually has all that available. In my area, help with utilities is on a first cine basus starting in Oct. They run out of money be December. So, even if you are lucky enough to get an apt to get help, you get maybe 2 mos of electric / gas. Not a whole year.
Sounds like assistance is pretty backed up where you live. I think it’s unrealistic to think that people who receive assistance get everything for free. Sometimes those benefits barely cover a person’s needs. But on the contrary, they can help you get by just enough to work on improving your situation. I’ll never forget how much childcare assistance helped me be able to finish school and get a better job so I could take care of my son. Being a single mom can be tough though, and assistance really can make a huge difference. Good luck to you!
Nice article. Govt. assistance can really help the single mother group to build their own houses. make sure that these programs have the profitable clauses for you. Moreover, you must also go for a financial planning and estimate your budget too. if Possible avail financial planning services from consultants too.
There are absolutely no services or any organizations that can help homeless or transitional people in this town of Fort Myers
This is so sad.I am so sorry they must do without. Drop a line to your local VFW or the Boys & Girls Club. They are always looking for new programs to sponcser in their communities. Maybe even pass the words to kids. Maybe their friends/school would hold an event. God Bless Fort Myers
hey, recently me and my husband have been having major issues in our marriage and we have decided to go our seperate ways. i have a soon to be 3 and 4 year old and i am unemployed mind you i am only 22 years old and didnt finish high school. though we still live in the same roof but i have been staying at my parents house but i need to make moves fast , i feel like its too much for my parent. can someone tell me which program would rather be better for me and my 2 kids. thank you !
It’s important to note that government assistance programs like section 8 require that landlords meet certain criteria and landlords also have a right to refuse vouchers (typically because they don’t want to jump through the bureaucratic hoops to become approved housing providers). However not every program requires that landlords apply. While one can find housing in nearly any area that accepts vouchers, not every home/apartment you look at will accept them.
i was on the waiting list since 2003 finally got the voucher last year and man all the waiting the list and people that don’t accept section8 and you think it would be easy because you have the section 8 I got turn down from apts that I didn’t know that I had apartments in my name so they didn’t take it and you think they would because the rent is going get paid . Well I lost out and lost my voucher now I have to wait til they send me a cancel out letter and try to get it back because when I finally got one the landlord didn’t make it in time so I lost out . its hard to try to make it with the price of rent and pay all your bills.. so now I gotta start all over no telling how long that’s going to take for me to apply for a appeal…
I had the same thing happen to me receive a section 8 voucher last year and lost it. Now I have been in the shelter with my children 9months and still can’t find a place that affordable thinking about moving to another city.
Here in Monroe, North Carolina, I live at Willow Oaks Apartments, Monroe Housing Authority. My two sons and myself have been called racial names, harassed, cussed at, and placed in an environment that goes against our lease. I’ve called and emailed many different peoples and nothing has changed about the drugs and other things. Anna McRae, the executive director hasn’t done much since we moved here in September 2013. I call the police, they come, but never any arrests. I sometimes smell the marijuana in the parking lot right outside our front door and windows. Sometimes, even from the apartment next door. I actually begged the police department to send an officer out to come in our home and smell the upstairs bedroom where the odor was the strongest and tell me if this is in fact the stink of marijuana. He confirmed, but didn’t do anything.
I have a court date for March 28, 2016, because Lashaunda M. Barrett, in apartment 7B has threatened us long enough. The board members here in Monroe won’t help. The residents, on the so called committee, that represent Willow Oaks for our area or state, just close their eyes and turn their backs on these serious lease agreement breeches.
Hearing, seeing, smelling, and witnessing things I didn’t want my children to grow up in are out of my control! If the person in charge, Anna McRae, would move people out for violating the lease agreement, as stated…….
Yes im a single parent &im interested in you all programs
Very powerful and helpful. Thank you.
My name is kameisha and i need help i called all transitional housing possible in my area i do work but i dont make much i have three children and we are facing eviction i live in decatur ga of you have any knowing of any type of assitance please let me know thanks
im trying to get assistance in Houston for the downpayment assistance where do I look for that type of help first time home buyer and will help you fix your credit any takers does anyone or anybody know … HELPPP
yes please i need help,im a single mom that needs your help.Ihave 3 boys and we are interested in the rent to own program.right now my twwo oldest are having to stay with friends bcause of being by school and their sports myself and my 14 year old is having to stay with my brother i need to get us all baack in sardis ,al.please help me i do have a job but pays very little.
My name Is Ashley Hance and I am chronic homeless I need your help for me and my 3yr old please and thank you!
I’m recently divorced and walked away from my home of 25 years. I am 42, have recently lost my job due to serious health issues in which I’m under a Drs orders not to work. I enrolled in an online university to be a full time student for the upcoming year. I’m inquiring to seek options for a fresh start on life.
Hello I like that you love to help people but I need your advice and help. I live through shelter plus care and like love the program but I have problem werr I live. I have two little boys. Were i live my apartment been rob in two times and its scary and i ask can the move me in a area were a city bus run at and close to my family. I don’t have no care so we’re I live at is very hard to get rides and its a bad neiborhood and like i said im scared my safty every time I ask could the move me they always give me a run around…. Could you please give me advice I need help
Hi everyone, I’m a single mum looking for advice, my daughter and I live in tully qld, am wanting to move to Hervey Bay, can someone try giving me an idea where we can stay, and find a job… Please some advice…
Hi Shelia Meli ,I’m single mother with a child and we re homeless. I been asking help help no one will help us. I run out of ideas for help and run out of money. Can you please help us.
thank you so much for this article iv been on so many websites doing so much research talking to so many businesses who play phone volleyball. with all this research on how to get started by all these abbreviations and complicated wording for someone to just finally lay it out simple and sweet is such a relief you have lifted so much stress in me i finally feel i know where to start my process
I am a single mom of 3 and I am getting evicted because of debt i was tuck with when my ex left, I want to but a home for me and my kids so they can have a yard to run and play in, I have no money for a down payment, I need help, what can i do?
i have 3 children we live here rented but i cant rent longer more here we livingin bohol philippines can anyone help us ,,,i am single andhave 3children i live here with no family