According to a recently updated January 2022 government study, 10.2 million people in 5.2 million American households use federal rental assistance to afford modest housing. Of these, 69% are seniors, children, or people with disabilities.
Low Income-Affordable Housing
Four in ten low-income people in the United States are homeless or pay over half their income for rent. Most don’t receive federal rental assistance due to limited funding.
Low-income housing, also known as public housing, provides long-term solutions to expand affordable housing for low-income families.
The public housing program is limited to low-income families and individuals
Public housing comes in a variety of forms, from single-family homes to multi-level apartment buildings. Residents are usually required to pay some portion of their income towards rent.
Section 8 – Voucher Program
Section 8 housing, more recently known as the Housing Choice Voucher Program, still exists throughout the United States.
However, at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, various aspects of the assisted housing program have been transitioned to other departments within the HUD system. For example, under some circumstances, the Public Housing Program (PHA) will allow an applicant to use the voucher to purchase a home.
HUD
Contact your HUD or local state housing agency if you can’t make your rent. You may qualify for government programs to receive help with your rent payments.
Even if you don’t qualify for rental assistance through the below state agencies, ask a social worker or counselor to refer you to a community organization that can assist you. They may help you directly or offer you helpful referral information.
Housing Assistance By State
| Alabama | Hawaii | Massachusetts | New Mexico | S. Dakota |
