Where to get emergency housing assistance
If you’ve always found it easy to pay your mortgage or rent, you probably aren’t aware of the resources that can assist you when times get tough. Both long-term and short-term crises such as a death in the family, an illness, unexpected job loss, or even divorce can force you to seek housing assistance.
It’s, thus, imperative to realize where you can get the right kind of help in case of an emergency. Most forms of emergency housing assistance come from non-profit organizations and public agencies. Public agencies get funded with taxpayers’ money and have the mandate of assisting residents who qualify for their services.
Non-profit organizations have one mission – to serve anyone in need. As such, you can get assistance services ranging from counseling to education, long-term subsidized rent, short-term grants, etc. from these entities.
If you ever need emergency housing services, contact the following:
Community Homeless Service Provider
Community homeless services operate via funding from corporate or individual donors, as well as government or foundations grants. Their programs offer life-sustaining support for socially isolated people and the homeless, interventions for victimized people (legal assistance, crisis counseling), as well as activities for at-risk youth (counseling, recreational).
Housing Counselling Agency
The HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) is the main sponsor of housing counseling agencies located in the US. These agencies mostly offer advice to anyone with renting, buying a home, foreclosures, defaults, and credit issues. Call 800-569-4287 for their services.
Visit the HUD Site
HUD also offers assistance with finding affordable rental housing, local home buying programs, making home improvements, and tenant rights. It can also help with closing costs or down payments for low-income individuals and families.
Find HIV/AIDS housing near you
Institutions like HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS) offer housing assistance for those with HIV but you must meet certain income standards and have HIV for you to qualify for such programs.
HOPWA also offers services like mental health treatment, chemical dependency treatment, job training, nutritional services, assistance with daily living and placement assistance.
Find emergency housing whenever you need it
Most shelters offer emergency housing services for free while others will charge a small fee. Those with residential alcohol and drug programs usually charge a small amount.
Many, however, are low-cost, so don’t hesitate to apply for emergency assistance if the situation calls for it. You can even go for more permanent subsidized or public housing, though the waiting lists are usually long.