Rental Assistance Near Me: Where to Get Help With Rent

Rental assistance near me: who to contact first

Most rent help today comes from state, county, city, tribal and nonprofit programs, not from one national office. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says local organizations are the best place to start. When you search for rental assistance near me, add your city or county, and try these first:

Call 211. Your local 211 can help you find options to pay rent or utility bills. 211.org says help is confidential and available 24/7, and you can also search its housing expenses page.
Ask your city or county housing or human services office. The CFPB also suggests asking at your town hall or public library.
Talk to a housing counselor. Some HUD-approved agencies offer low- or no-cost rental counseling. Use the CFPB's housing counselor finder or call 800-569-4287, and check that "rental" is on the agency's list of services.
Have to leave tonight? Find a safe place first with our homeless shelter guide, and call 911 if you are in danger.

Rules on income, location and what a program pays for differ, and money can run out. The CFPB notes that funds may take several weeks to arrive after you apply.

Is emergency rental assistance near me still available?

During the pandemic, the federal government funded two Emergency Rental Assistance programs, ERA1 and ERA2, through the Treasury, and state and local governments ran them. Those federal programs are over. The U.S. Treasury says the ERA2 award period ended on September 30, 2025, and ERA2 funds can no longer be used to help renters. The CFPB adds that many of these programs have closed or stopped taking applications.

Some help remains. The CFPB says state, tribal and local organizations still distribute money to help renters, but programs open and close as funding changes. If a search for emergency rental assistance near me turns up an old program page, check your state or city housing website or call 211, and ask:

Is the program open now, and who qualifies?
Does it cover back rent, future rent, deposits or utilities?
Does it pay me or my landlord, and how long does a decision take?

Emergency housing assistance if you could lose your home

If you could soon lose your home, ask for homelessness prevention or emergency housing assistance, not only rent help. Communities are organized into Continuums of Care (CoCs), local networks that plan homeless services with HUD funding. HUD requires CoCs to use coordinated entry, which it describes as a standard way to assess people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and refer them to housing and services.

Find your local contact on HUD's Need Homeless Assistance? list, or ask 211 to connect you.
Say that you have a notice or a move-out date, and give the date.
Answer the assessment questions. Help is often limited, so ask what else to try while you wait.
Keep your phone number and email current, and answer when they call back.

Public housing and Section 8 vouchers

The Housing Choice Voucher program, often called Section 8, helps people with low incomes rent in the private market, with part of the rent paid directly to the landlord. Local public housing agencies (PHAs) run it, and HUD says you apply through your local PHA.

Find agencies by state and city on HUD's PHA contact list, or call HUD's PIH Customer Service Center at 800-955-2232 with questions about public housing and vouchers.
Expect a waiting list. HUD says waits can be long, so you may need to apply to more than one PHA. You do not have to live in an agency's area to apply, though some require you to live there for the first 12 months.
Ask whether the list is open and how the agency announces openings. Ask about public housing too.
Stay reachable. HUD warns that not reporting a new address, phone number or household size can get you removed from the waitlist.

A voucher is a long-term option, not a fix for this month's rent, so look for short-term help at the same time.

Got an eviction notice? What to do now

Eviction usually moves in stages: a written notice or demand for payment, then a court case if the landlord files one, then a court decision. Deadlines and defenses depend on your state and sometimes your city; the Legal Services Corporation notes that eviction laws and procedures differ across states.

Read the notice. Note when you got it, any deadline and the amount claimed. Keep a copy.
Do not ignore court papers. The CFPB eviction guide says you can file a written answer and urges renters not to give up before court. Ask the court clerk about your answer deadline, your court date and mediation.
Apply for rental assistance now and keep proof. Mention a pending application in your answer; the CFPB says a judge may delay or dismiss an eviction because you are trying to get help.
Talk to your landlord about a repayment plan, and keep records of what you agree.
Get legal help. You may qualify for free legal aid based on your income. Find nonprofit legal aid on LawHelp.org or with the Legal Services Corporation's find legal aid tool.

Help with utility bills and help for veterans

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a federally funded HHS program, helps with home energy bills, energy crises, weatherization and minor energy-related home repairs. Eligibility varies by state. Use the LIHEAP office search or call the National Energy Assistance Referral line at 1-866-674-6327.

Veterans who are homeless or at risk can call the VA's National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838. It is free, confidential and open 24/7. Ask about Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), which offers rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention for low-income veteran families who are homeless or at imminent risk.

Documents to have ready

Each program sets its own list, but these are worth gathering now:

Photo ID for the adults in your household.
Your lease and your landlord's contact details.
Any late-rent notice, eviction notice or court papers.
Proof of income, such as pay stubs, a benefits letter or bank statements.
Utility bills or shutoff notices, if you need help with utilities.

For vouchers, HUD lists typical documents such as pay stubs, bank information, paperwork for other benefits, and proof of citizenship and Social Security cards; needs vary by agency. Keep copies of everything you hand in.

How to avoid rental assistance scams

The FTC warns that scammers call, email or text promising rent money or help stopping an eviction, then ask for money up front or personal information. Fake Section 8 sites can also show up near the top of search results, so check the address bar when you search for rental assistance near me.

Do not pay to apply. The FTC says housing authorities do not charge fees, including to join a Section 8 waiting list, and will not call or email to suggest you join one. HHS says LIHEAP does not charge a fee for receiving a benefit.
Guard your numbers. Never give a Social Security, bank or card number to someone who contacted you. Find the program yourself through 211 or a .gov site.
Check before you trust. Search the organization's name with words like scam or complaint. The FTC's guide to rental listing scams says insisting on wire transfers, gift cards or cryptocurrency is a sign of a scam.
Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Where HomelessHelper fits

HomelessHelper is a free directory of essential services, with no account needed to find help. On the website you pick a state and a county. Besides shelter, food and health care, it lists housing assistance: public housing agencies from HUD records, covering public housing and voucher administration, and HUD-approved housing counseling agencies for rent, foreclosure and homeless services. It also lists the HUD-designated homeless-response areas that run coordinated entry locally. Each listing shows its source and links to the original record.

It works in English and Spanish. It is a directory, not a rental assistance program, and a listing is not a promise of help. HomelessHelper is independent, not a government agency, and does not decide eligibility or process benefits. Confirm waiting lists and current programs with the agency itself. See how HomelessHelper works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find rental assistance near me?

Call 211, check your state, county and city housing websites, and contact a HUD-approved housing counselor who offers rental counseling. If you could lose your home soon, also contact your local coordinated entry.

Is there still emergency rental assistance?

The federal pandemic-era programs have ended, but some state, tribal and local programs still help with rent. Check your state or city housing website and ask 211.

Can I get help if I already have an eviction notice?

It may still be possible. Apply right away, keep proof that you applied, note every deadline, do not skip court and contact legal aid.

How long is the wait for a Section 8 voucher?

It depends on the agency. HUD says waits can be long and depend on how many vouchers are available, when you applied and any preferences that apply to you.

Do I have to pay to apply for rental assistance?

You should not have to pay to apply for public housing, a Section 8 waiting list or LIHEAP. The FTC calls a demand for money up front a dead giveaway of a scam.

Is HomelessHelper a rental assistance program?

No. It is a free, independent directory that lists housing assistance contacts, such as public housing agencies. It does not decide eligibility or process benefits.

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Rental Assistance Near Me: Where to Find Help Paying Rent