Being a single mother can be hard, especially when it comes to finding affordable housing for you and your children. Help is out there; however, you need to know where to look and how to apply.
Housing assistance from the government is available in most states, as well as help from private organizations.
Here are some ways you can find housing as a single mother.
1. Emergency Housing
Emergency housing is for those who find themselves with no place to live. This is temporary housing, but it is worth to take note of in case of an emergency situation.
Emergencies can include such incidents as a fire or a case of domestic violence. Emergency housing includes shelters, group homes, boarding homes and sometimes, hotel rooms.
Where do I look?
If you need emergency housing, social services along with private, non-profit organizations such as the Salvation Army and Goodwill, can help. Doing a quick Google search of “I need emergency housing” will bring up results for safe places closest to your current location.
2. Affordable Housing
Affordable housing is housing with low monthly payments, being rent or mortgage. This type of housing is granted with Section 8 vouchers or can be found in neighborhood, low-income apartment units.
How do I apply?
The first step to applying is finding the right organization for you. Here are several to start off with.
The Family Unification Assistance Program
This program assists with housing vouchers for low-income families and single mothers. The amount you will have to pay will be based on your income. You can find more information here.
House-Sharing
The CoAbod program helps single mothers to find suitable housing and help with child care. It entails sharing a home with another mother and splitting all the expenses.
This service is a non-profit organization which aids single mothers in finding affordable housing. Their website is updated daily and lists accommodation opportunities in every state.
Habitat Humanity
This worldwide organization builds and repairing houses for individuals in need. To apply for this benefit, go to their website
3. Low-Income Housing
This kind of housing is only for people who have a low income. There is usually a maximum amount of money that you can earn to qualify for these programs.
How do I apply?
Several organizations provide low-income housing:
Public Housing
Each state has HUD, or a PHA (the Public Housing Administration). With this program, low-income housing is available in a wide range of areas for low-income families, people with disabilities and the elderly.
Income allowance is determined according to each state and goes by your gross, annual income. To apply, go to their website:
(Section 8) House Voucher Program
This program offers low-income individuals and families a safe and sanitary place to live at a reduced price based on their earnings. The home that a person desires to live in has to be included in the program. It must also meet the Section 8 guidelines.
This non-profit organization provides in-between accommodations to single mothers and their dependents who don’t have anywhere else to live.
It is a 2-year program. Vision-House requires single mothers’ income to be thirty percent below the overall income of the community in which they want to live. They must be considered homeless at the time of enrollment. To learn more, go to their website
The Nurturing Network
This 501(c)(3) non-profit, charity organization helps women who are challenged with an unexpected pregnancy. They provide provisions during the pregnancy, and well after the child is born.
Services can include medical services, counseling, housing, legal assistance and help with locating employment. To learn more, visit their website
Low-Income House Coalition
A national agency that seeks to expand housing accessibility for people across the U.S. To find out more and to let your voice be heard click here.
(LIHTC) Low-income House Tax Credit Assistance Program
This agency gives property renters a tax credit if he or she offers affordable housing. With this program, the property owner reduces his tax liability. To learn more about qualifying as a property owner or as a low-income individual looking for housing, visit here.
4. Rental Assistance
Rental assistance programs are intended to help people with their rent. They either give people an allowance to use towards their rent or give money directly to the landlord to assist with rent.
How do I apply?
Several agencies help single mothers with rental assistance:
The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army aids people in a lot of ways by using the money that they make in their stores. They help with housing for single mothers. They also provide food, rehabilitation and disaster relief. To learn more and see if you qualify, visit their website.
The Catholic Charities
The programs that this charity offers include providing info on food aid, support for finding affordable housing and reintegration to allow people to qualify for higher-paying jobs. You don’t have to be a Catholic to be eligible for their services. To learn more, visit here.
The YWCA
The YWCA advocates for women’s rights. They believe in justice, peace, dignity, and freedom for all women.
They offer programs and aid in housing, domestic violence cases, women’s health plans, job training, primary childcare programs, literacy programs, veteran’s programs and women’s scholarship awards. To learn more about how the YWCA can assist you, go to their website.
We hope you found this listing of housing assistance for low-income mothers helpful. You might also like our page “Help & Assistance for Single Mothers“
You can find a complete list of our articles on Family Parenting.
