If you’re having trouble paying for housing, government housing grants provide assistance for Americans that need help with their housing costs. Housing assistance may be available whether you’re a renter, who is having trouble making payments, or a potential new homebuyer, who needs assistance with closing costs. Unlike loans, you don’t have to pay back housing grants.
Government funds are allocated to different housing programs to meet different needs, and each of these housing programs has its own qualifying requirements. There are also several different rental assistance programs. Some rental subsidies qualify you for rental assistance for designated standard rental properties through the private rental market, while others place you in a public housing facility. These programs are typically need-based and applicants must specific economic and family status criteria.
There are also programs targeted to provide assistance to specific groups, including: individuals that are elderly, disabled, homeless, ill, or applicants living in certain rural locations. In addition to these long-term rental assistance programs, there are also emergency or short term grant programs. These programs help applicants face extenuating circumstances like sudden hardship or housing challenges created by natural disasters. Still, other programs are geared toward homeownership and provide adjustments and subsidies for down payments and lowered mortgage rates. Some of these grants help low income families with steady incomes achieve dreams of home ownership that they couldn’t otherwise afford while other grants provide assistance for first-time homebuyers.
Research all of the different possible grants for housing that you may qualify for, given your personal situation. Keep in mind that a single grant is unlikely to meet all of your housing cost needs so you should apply to all housing grants for which you are qualified. Qualifying requirements may vary for even similar types of grants. Careful research ensures that you won’t waste your time applying to the wrong grants; and demand is high, so try to apply as soon as possible. Many of these programs have a high number of applicants and even fully qualified applicants may be placed on waiting lists. Other grant application submission periods close and re-open only during specific timeframes.
Another important part of the application process is to always remember to keep an eye out for scams when looking for government housing grants. All information regarding government grants and applications is available for free online or by contacting the appropriate government agency. Legitimate resources will not ask you for a payment to search for grants or submit your application. If you’re uncertain about a possible website or grant, do further research to confirm that it is a legitimate. Begin your search with reputable sources like the federal housing and grants websites, your state or local government’s official websites, or through non-profit housing and community-based organizations. Don’t be afraid to directly contact your state government’s housing office or local housing non-profit and ask any questions you may have during the grant application process. Many of these organizations have counselors or helplines that can help with completing your application or can direct you to other helpful resources. Applications can be complicated in order to confirm that applicants truly meet the grant’s qualifications, many applications will ask for supporting financial documentation or other pertinent certifying documents; confirming that you have the right documents will save you time and effort.
Here are a few places to help you get started researching the grants available in your state:
Alabama:
Alaska:
- Alaska Fair Housing Corporation – Grants
- Alaska Community Development Corporation – Home Opportunity Program
Arizona:
- Arizona Department of Housing Resources
- Arizona Housing Counseling Cooperative – Grants/Assistance Money
Arkansas:
California:
- CA Department of Housing and Community Development
- California WIC Association: Housing Assistance Resources
Colorado:
- Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation
- CO Department of Local Affairs – Housing Choice Voucher Program
Connecticut:
Delaware:
Florida:
Georgia:
- Office of Public Housing Serving Georgia
- GA Department of Community Affairs – Housing Choice Voucher Program
Hawaii:
- Hawaii Public Housing Authority – FAQs: Federal Public Housing
- Children’s Advocacy Project: Housing/Utility Assistance Resources
Idaho:
- Idaho Housing and Finance Association – Grant Programs
- Southwest Idaho Cooperative Housing Authority
Illinois:
- Illinois Housing Development Authority – Grants for Homebuyers
- The County of DuPage, IL – Housing Assistance
Indiana:
- City of Indianapolis Community Development Grants
- Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority – Rental Assistance
Iowa:
Kansas:
- Kansas Corp. Commission – Housing & Energy Assistance
- Kansas Housing Resources Corporation – Grants and Programs
Kentucky:
Louisiana:
Maine:
Maryland:
Massachusetts:
Michigan:
Minnesota:
Mississippi:
Missouri:
- Missouri Housing Development Committee – Homeownership Programs
- Missouri’s Guide to Housing Assistance Programs PDF
Montana:
Nebraska:
- Nebraska Department of Economic Development – Housing Programs
- Omaha Planning Department- Housing Services
Nevada:
- Nevada Housing Division Resources
- Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority – Housing Choice Voucher Program
New Hampshire:
New Jersey:
- NJ Department of Community Affairs- Housing Assistance
- Affordable Housing Alliance – Housing Resources
New Mexico:
New York:
- HUD Homeownership Assistance: New York
- NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development – HomeFirst Program
North Carolina:
North Dakota:
- North Dakota Housing Finance Authority – Homeownership Programs
- ND Department of Commerce HOME program
Ohio:
Oklahoma:
Oregon:
- Oregon Grant and Tax Credit Programs for Housing
- Fair Housing Council of OR – Homeownership Resources
Pennsylvania:
Rhode Island:
South Carolina:
South Dakota:
Tennessee:
Texas:
Utah:
Vermont:
Virginia:
Washington:
West Virginia:
Wisconsin:
Wyoming: