Find help stopping an eviction from your home, apartment, or rental unit. Low-income tenants and those in a financial hardship can be given assistance from charities, a church or government organizations. Emergency help for tenants getting evicted is often combined with other support, such as legal aid, forgiveness programs and grant money. There are a number of Eviction Prevention Programs near you that offer help for families being evicted.

The amount of money that is provided to help low- income people or families getting evicted pay any rental arrears to stop an eviction is limited. A major focus is on helping people with a source of income, and that are facing an emergency financial hardship, remain in their apartment or housing unit. It is possible to apply for programs for people being evicted at local government organization, charities, non-profits, and community action agencies.

What do eviction prevention programs offer?
How to apply for help stopping an eviction
Emergency help from a charity to prevent an eviction
Government eviction forgiveness and prevention programs
Get help near you to stop an eviction

What is offered from eviction prevention programs near you

The programs and organizations that operate them (listed below) will provide hardship funds, free attorneys and rent immediate assistance to qualified low as well as moderate income families that have received a notice from their landlord / property owner. There are also some options for tenants with no money or the unemployed that are facing imminent eviction. However note that each organization varies in what is offered from an eviction prevention - forgiveness program.

All types of evictions can be prevented. Many assistance programs will also often stop evictions due to unpaid water bills, legal disputes, housing discrimination or noise disputes and other issues. As emergency eviction prevention programs are wide ranging in the financial help as well as free legal support arranged. The resources are intended to provide emergency short term relief to clients in an effort to help them avoid an eviction, and is not a program that people can turn to month after month for financial aid.

Individuals and families who are facing an unforeseen financial hardship or experiencing extenuating circumstances beyond their control are the main recipients of eviction help. From day one, the program will provide immediate relief in the form of paying up to some or all of the back rent to the landlord to prevent the pending eviction. However, some states and local government, as well as charities, may actually pay more to help stabilize the situation.

In addition to the immediate relief and short term payments, the program staff will provide a tenants facing eviction with long term relief. Organizations offer a wide range of case management services to help get people back on their feet. For example, they may come up with options for the individuals to help them regain self-sufficiency. Case managers will often support individual plans with goals and solid steps to prevent eviction.

The eviction prevention programs will give long term benefits such as details on apartments that allow renters to have an eviction on their record and work to stabilize the families living conditions and also importantly help people maintain long-term housing after they are established in their new home or apartment. Many community action organizations provide some of these counseling programs.

How are tenants eligible for the eviction prevention program?

There are some application conditions that need to be met to stop an eviction. The exact criteria will vary based upon state and the program offered, but in general the applicant / family needs to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the local agency that the reason they are behind on their rent was beyond their ability to control, such as an unexpected emergency or crisis. In general, emergency eviction help is given to low income families, including rental assistance to stop evictions for single mothers, seniors or the disabled, if they have notice from their landlord or apartment owner.

They need to show that they will be able to meet their future monthly rent payment obligations over the long term. Or rehousing may be offered. Also, another key is that the landlord must also commit to participation. They must agree to stop the eviction process and to also allow the tenant to stay in the apartment or rental unit under the terms of the existing lease agreement. Most landlords do agree to these terms.

Once again, the exact terms of each program will vary, but in general another condition is that eviction prevention programs need to ensure that a tenant’s housing costs cannot be greater than a certain percent of their gross monthly income. Therefore, if the applicant’s personal situation is that virtually all their income is going towards paying their rent or housing costs, it may be considered an unsustainable situation. The reason being is that the financial help provided is intended to be short term, and if the applicant is in over their head, no matter what is done the Eviction Prevention Program would not be enough.

National charities near you that give emergency help before you get evicted

As indicated, some national non-profit and charity organizations administer emergency funds to pay rent to people facing eviction. These will also come with conditions, including the funds need to be used to prevent homelessness that could result from an eviction. The grants may help with paying housing costs due to a property owner or utility bills due to a local provider. Case managers can work with tenants of all income levels to show them how to avoid an eviction. Find a list of national charities.

Most states have charitable, non-profit law firms as well as free lawyers that give eviction help. These non-profit law firms employ local attorneys, pro-bono lawyers and other legal professionals who offer qualified residents a wide variety of support, including free legal consultations, representation, landlord-tenant mediation services and other assistance that will help prevent an eviction. Evictions can also be delayed from mediation, which many cities require to occur. Locate free landlord tenant mediation near you.

Families getting evicted can find new, low-income housing to move to. This can help them stabilize their living situation. There are apartments, homes, section 8 housing from HUD that is income based as well as other programs to help. Learn more on low income apartment rentals with no waiting list near you.

Tenants threatened with an eviction from their landlord will be able to apply for rental assistance near them as well. A number of charities, churches, non-profits and other organizations offer support. Preventing the eviction from occurring is always the main goal, as it is easier to keep a family in their current apartment rather than trying to rehouse a homeless person. More on rental assistance in an emergency near you.

Families or individuals that have been evicted, and need a place to go afterwards, can get help from charities or other programs too. While this is reactive, the goal of many organizations is to reduce homelessness and that includes those that have faced eviction that need a place to live. Read more on help for people evicted with no place to go.

Eviction prevention and forgiveness programs from the government

There are several government programs that help low-income families that are in a financial crisis stay in their home. Some are focused on certain types of individuals, such as veterans, seniors or the disabled. Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Emergency Solution Grants, the VA and others administer eviction forgiveness from the government and options include the following.

Veterans threatened with an eviction can get emergency help, including from SSVF, HUD-VASH, and other agencies. Find details on veteran rent assistance to help with an eviction. These options also help homeless veterans find somewhere to live.
Free legal aid from the government is offered from the Legal Services Corporation, or LSC. Many of the attorneys are fully versed in local eviction laws or they will defend tenants facing illegal evictions or discrimination. Find information about free lawyers that give legal advice.
Disabled people with an eviction, which are on social security (SSI or SSDI) can get emergency help from the government. HUD Section 811, Aging and Disability Resource Center, and other programs provide funds to help cure the eviction. Find details on rental and housing assistance for the disabled.
Eviction laws from the government help protect tenants too, and the federal LSC organization and law firms help guide tenants with an eviction notice from their landlord. This is a nationwide database covering all states, and learn more on rules and regulation to protect families from illegal or unethical evictions https://lsc.gov/initiatives/effect-state-local-laws-evictions.

Local programs to stop an eviction

Some state governments (listed below), often in partnership with local non-profits, have also coordinated their own programs that are targeted at preventing evictions in a local community. They will use a combination of federal government grants and often supplement that with local funds. Some of the government agencies may issue emergency loans for families getting evicted to help them stay in their apartment.

In addition to the various other resources you will find on this site, HUD has options. Referrals to emergency financial help, legal aid, and rehousing will be given before a family is evicted. The government has a list of resources offered by HUD with the goal of reducing homelessness, and learn more on HUD eviction prevention resources.

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