Last week I shared detailed information about housing help for single mothers through government programs. I probably barely scratched the surface since there are so many government programs designated to helping people find affordable housing.
Government programs do not help everyone though. Waiting lists can be long and not everyone who needs assistance will qualify. If you’ve been told that you ‘make too much’ for government assistance for housing or if you just want to try a different route, then this post is for you.
Securing housing as a single mom or a single parent in general can be tough especially since your household income is limited to only yours. In part two of the Housing Help Series I’ll be discussing private assistance options for housing.
Start Thinking Economically
When you aren’t receiving any assistance or additional income aside from your own, it’s important to start thinking economically when it comes to housing.
Make sure you live in an affordable area with lower housing costs. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to move to a bad area of the nearest large city. In my experience, city living is way too expenses and the cost of living in small suburbs further away from larger cities can be much more affordable.
Cut expenses unnecessary expenses the smart way, drive less, utilize community resources and save when you can. When it comes to finding a place to live, try to keep it within your means and don’t bite off more than you can chew with an over-sized house or apartment.
I admire how Alexa purchased a trailer for her and her girls in order to get ahead. It was a very wise economical decision.
Keeping your housing costs manageable and focusing on saving the most money is the key to thriving. After you change your mindset to survival mode, check out some of these private housing assistance options that generally don’t require assistance from the government.
CoAbode Single Mother’s House Sharing
The CoAbode is an organization that helps connect single moms who are looking for affordable housing and whose interest and parenting philosophies are compatible. Their House Sharing Program allows you to room with another single mom in order to cut your living expenses in half.
Enrollment for this program is easy and free and all you need to do is fill out a profile detailing specific information and accommodation needs such as rent, desired neighborhood, preferred school district etc. The CoAbode House Sharing Program welcomes all single mothers from all walks of life and you can find out more information about the program here.
Private Transitional Housing
Transitional housing can be funded by the government, but a lot of times it’s funded by local churches and organizations. If your housing options are running thin and you are facing homelessness, a transitional housing program will help secure temporary housing for you and your family.
Transitional housing programs are aimed toward individuals (mostly parents) who are late on rent, facing eviction or have nowhere to go. It’s is a step up from a homeless shelter because instead of offering you a temporary living arrangement for a few days, you have the opportunity to be placed with housing for several months to at least a year or two.
The housing assistance these programs provide also include additional help including moving assistance, funding your security deposit, finding a better paying job and achieving more stability. Some programs even offer childcare services.
Transitional housing agencies and programs are not widely advertised on the web even though there are a handful of useful options out there. You can search for agencies near you here if you are interested in learning more or you can contact a local church or Catholic Charities organization to see if they have any information that can help you.
Stay With Family or Friends
Staying with family or friends temporarily might not be your favorite option, but it’s always a solid option if you have it. If you can move in with your parents or other family members for a few months, you’ll most likely be able to save up and get back on your feet. Friends and family members won’t charge you as much rent (if any) as a private landlord would.
If someone has space and is willing to let you stay with them, you can always volunteer extra help and services to show your appreciation by babysitting, dog walking, cleaning, fixing things around the house etc.
When you stay with a loved one for however long you need, kick your work ethic into high gear by taking the time out to advance your education, work more hours or increase your income so you can build a solid savings cushion to help improve your financial stability.
Alexa’s Note: I stayed with my Dad for several months rent free before buying the trailer. While sharing a room with my girls wasn’t ideal I was able to save a ton of money doing this.
Assistance From Charities and Organizations
Many charities and organizations offer community assistance and quite a few offer housing assistance options for families. Most charities (not all) are affiliated with churches or religious groups and provide emergency shelter programs, counseling services, free legal advice, utility assistance and help with food.
Two of the largest church charity organizations that offer rent assistance and additional housing help include Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army.
Here are some additional big-name charity programs to look into:
- American Red Cross
- Jewish Federation of North America
- Love in the Name of Christ
- Lutheran Services in America
- Ministries from UMC – United Methodist Church
- YMCA
- Saint Vincent de Paul
- Operation Round Up
Most of these organizations have regional offices and programs so their service offerings can’t really be generalized to apply to everyone everywhere. Your best bet is to visit their websites and call the branch closest to you to see what type of housing assistance they offer.
The help is definitely out there. We just need to reach out to these organizations and ask.
Related: Government Assistance Housing Help
Getting home for single mom is difficult but getting government assistance has made it easy. This is what we discussed in last post. This was a another part which again stress on financial planning even you have Govt.. assistance. The organisations like CoAbode and other helps you to get it easily. Make sure of a financial planning service you take, if any . Govt. assistance has lots of terms and conditions.
Govt. assistance can be tricky and you’re right, there are a lot of rules and conditions. In my opinion, it’s their way of keeping everything organized and under control.
Thank you chonce for your informative posts, and alexa. I always find this site helpful and inspiring.
Thanks April! Glad you liked the post!
Another great post, Chonce ! Well researched. 😉
Thanks Christie!
Purchasing a trailer was a wise option for Alexa but she was lucky she had her father and didn’t have to pay lot rent because that isn’t cheap..
I agree. It was a very smart choice!
So glad that this site is putting out information such as this. There is still a major stigma when it comes to government assistance, and even though there are people who abuse it, there are many people who need it. Great article!!
Yeah and I’m sure the amount of people who truly need it outweigh the few that abuse the system. Yet, I find it interesting how several people who need the assistance don’t qualify somehow and have to seek out help from organizations and other groups. Just doesn’t make much sense for people who are trying to get back on their feet.
I am a single father and have been running in circles trying to find any kind of financial help. Florida assistance is a joke. They did give me food stamps which i am truly grateful for, but for any other assistance i was denied. I tried salvation army,united way,catholic charities,etc to no avail. I worked hard all my life and when i need help the most,my government turns a blind eye. What am i gonna do? File for ss at 36? I probably would get denied those benefits too. What a joke.
What type of assistance are you looking for? (ie. hosuing, medical, etc.) and do you think the government believes you make ‘too much’ money to qualify? That’s the only main issue I can assume.
I called a domestic violence shelter yesterday because I need to get my two boys and myself away from the emotional and psychological abuse we are experiencing. I was told I don’t qualify. When I asked why, the lady’s response was “that information is confidential”. So I guess I’m suppose to live like this? What kind of life is this???
I’m so sorry to hear that Jamie. I’m wondering if there is someone you can report them to because you should be given some type of explanation. In the meantime, you should look into low income housing/ Section 8, a local charity, or any other emergency shelters for families in your area.
I’m sorry to hear that because I truly know how it feels! I was abused the same way in my marriage then after he kicked our daughter and I out for the woman he was sleeping with I had to move in with my parents who abuse me 100% worse than my ex husband and they have told me so many times that I would never make it on my own because I am disabled due to having SLE Lupus but then kick us out every time I do one little thing to make them mad so it’s definitely not a healthy environment for my daughter and I to live in. I have no government assistance except for social security disability which is $655 and child support which is $640 so they tell me I make too much which is insane because not even if I was single could I make it on that! My parents charge me $400 in rent for one bedroom plus $50 for utilities so I would much rather put that towards a place if I could get section 8 but again I make too much. So I want to get a place, a car and I want to go back to work as a hair dresser no matter how sick I am! My daughter deserves a good life and I can only give that to her if I go back to work but in the mean time I am scared and I don’t know what to do! I hope you have better luck than I do!!
Those first few months after separation are traumatic enough without trying to find affordable accommodation, too. I was lucky to be able to live with my daughter in the loft above my parent’s garage for 12 months so I could get back on my feet financially. I had a good job but I was left with most of the family debt; house, car, school fees, etc. so it was pretty scary for a while there.
The more that information like this can be shared on sites like this one, hopefully the less trauma will be experienced by families in this horrible predicament. Well done!
Thanks for sharing your experience Diane, and I’m glad you had the option to stay with your daughter. I’m sure that helped out a ton. Luckily, I always had the option to stay with my mom even though things weren’t nearly as perfect, it was a valid and affordable option. Worrying about housing on top of everything else can be stressful.
I can’t relate to any of this, but I am shocked how many programs are available out there, I had no idea! This is really, really useful information I am going to pass onto a friend of mine. Thanks Chonce!
Sounds great Kristin! The more we try to share this type of information with others, the better 🙂
tuna….get a life….you are really a pitiful person and i do feel sorry for you….and cashing my checks….spending my gift cards …look for me tomorrow…I will be video taping again….my trip FREE to Walmart buying Christmas for my grandson!!! FREE.
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I write radar software for a living, dude; I know how frequency jamming works. OnStar uses GPS to track, I assummed LoJack did as well, turns out they use a VHF signal (at 173.075 MHz) but it’s really irrelevant, it just means you probably won’t find them in quantity at eBay. Change the VCO in your jammer and you can jam a different frequency range easily. Insurance companies and police departments like LoJack because it makes recovery easier for amateur thieves.
I have been in Texas for almost 3 years now. My kids and I moved down after my father died (at his request) to help my mother emotionally get over it. Luckily I had a job that allowed me to transfer. 6 months later my brother lost his job and had to move in. He struggles with addiction and has now been her 2 years, with his girlfriend, with NO job and neither do anything to help out. He is my mother’s golden child so no matter how stressful it is sharing a room with my 13 boy, and a daughter sleeping on the couch because my brother sleeping on a couch causes him to shoot dope, I have to deal with it…why? Because I make $16.87/hour, $2,924/a month, $35,090/a year. Except I’m only clearing $1800/mo after ins, taxes, retirment…etc. Add in car payment/auto ins/phone and that leaves me $1000/mo…then I have groceries, gas, needs, etc. I get no child support. I never have. I make too much for section 8/hud. Because I have no “living exspenses” and because my work provides it (almost $800 A month) I can’t get state ins and am not applicable for food stamps. I rob Peter to pay Paul every day. Expenses come up and cards get maxed. My credit that was once great went to the pot in 2016 after an accident I had to take 2 months off that is just now in litigation so I can’t even buy right now. Living exspenes are TWICE as high as in Illinois where we came from. I have tried everything. I have cried more tears with this living arrangement than I ever did over my divorce. What direction should I turn to now? I thought I would move back to Illinois but after some meetings with local animal controls up there over Christmas, I would be going backward in my career instead of forward. If you have suggestions, I am ALL for them.
I’m a single mother of four finding work has been difficult due to no transportation to get there also no childcare I tried getting childcare but was told I needed to be working 25hr+ in order to get approved. it has been a whole year and I’m living in a one room with my four kids. its stressful ive been applying for jobs nothing still I call everyday to check on the jobs but still no call back. Ive been looking up grants and help with getting a car for my family but no avenue. can someone please point me in the right direction? I was even denied tanf.
What state do you live in?
I really need my own place for me and my 3 kid’s I have. I get no child support because one of my baby daddy is in Mexico and the other 1 is in prison for 7 more yrs and the 3 one daddy has not never saw my child. Also I really have nobody my parents dead wen I was young so I have no one so I was just seeing if anyone out there to help me I have no one and all I do everyday I just cry cause I don’t know what I am going to do at this time just need help to get on my feet. If u have anything I can do can u please give me a car 9104059781