Make no mistake; there are a number of private and federally funded financial assistance programs that are a complete waste of money. Some of the places our government spends our money simply baffles the mind. One type of program that does not, however, is based upon housing assistance for single mothers.

For the life of me, I cannot imagine what it would be like not to be able to provide a warm, safe place for my children to sleep at night. While we certainly are not rich, our house stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Many single mothers (and single fathers for that matter) simply do not have this luxury. To make matters worse, many do not even know where to begin their search for housing assistance.

As such, this article will attempt to aid those in need of help locating affordable housing. Despite the fact that I am focusing on low income apartments for single mothers with children, most of these programs are available for families of all types. Here are a few places to help you get started.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Most people are at least vaguely familiar with HUD. This department is, after all, well known for their ability to help single moms, and low income families, find places to live that they can actually afford. A few of the programs that are currently available include:

  • Privately Owned Subsidized Housing – This particular program is designed to allow apartment owners the ability to provide reduced levels of rent to low income families.
  • Section 8 Housing Vouchers – Under Section 8, tenants actually search for, and find, apartments where they want to live and then use the approved vouchers to pay for all, or even a portion of, the rent.
  • Public Housing Options – The public housing option provides housing assistance for single mothers, the elderly, those with special disabilities, and other families with low income levels.

To learn more about the rental assistance programs available via HUD, check out their official website at http://hud.gov. In addition to learning more about the available programs, you can actually apply online.

Mercy Housing

In addition to HUD, there are a number of non-profit organizations whose primary focus is to provide affordable homes to those with low income. Unlike HUD, Mercy Housing actually builds, or rehabilitates, homes and apartments themselves.

Furthermore, this program also provides additional benefits that simply cannot be found anywhere else. A few examples include after-school programs for kids, financial education classes, and even health classes.

According to their website, mercyhousing.org, 72% of the people helped are families. They do not specifically identify how many are single parent families but I am sure there are quite a few. What I find unique about this organization is the fact that they work on the family dynamic as a whole, instead of simply helping a low income family find housing and then leaving them on their own in all other aspects of their lives. As a point of reference, the median income level supported by Mercy Housing is around $18,000.

In today’s tough economic environment, there should be no shame in seeking housing assistance. There are, in fact, a number of organizations whose primary objective is to provide housing assistance for single mothers (and other low income families). Take a few minutes and visit these websites to see whether or not you qualify for help.