Get help from Housing and Community Resource Center in Harris County TX.
The Housing and Community Resource Center is one of Harris County’s main sources of housing help in the Houston area. The location functions as a single access point where residents can talk to a Resource Navigator, search for affordable places to live, get steered to down payment help to buy a house, learn about home repair options, and find other sources of emergency financial help. Find more details on what the Housing and Community Resource Center (HCRC) can help with and contact information below.
Programs from the Housing and Community Resource Center that help renters
While the Harris County government runs the center, the city of Houston also refers people to the HCRC as a single access point for assistance. It is one of the core regional directory for practical housing options - whether for the homeless, tenants and homeowners and everyone in between.
For renters and people looking to lease a place, the HCRC provides a countywide search tool for income-restricted and below-market apartments. The portal includes options for voucher holders and lists developments that have affordability requirements due to federal, state, or local funding.
- The HCRC site is also where you will find links to landlord resources, fair housing materials, and the region’s homelessness response system, The Way Home, which coordinates access to shelter and supportive housing. If you need help navigating any of this, call the us a Resource Navigator.
Staff from Harris County Housing and Community Resource Center help clients find low cost, safe rental housing to live in. The organization has an online database that allows families to search for available affordable housing at any time with the linkage to searching the website here. https://hcr.drawn2design.net/. If anyone needs help searching the database, they can call to speak with operators who have been trained to provide hands on assistance for this process.
If you are exploring a section 8 voucher to help pay the rent on a rental unit, the HCRC will point you to the public housing authorities that administer Housing Choice Vouchers in the area. Both of them are HUD affiliated. Low-income families or single people can apply to the Houston Housing Authority and the Harris County Housing Authority for section 8 in Texas.
- The Housing and Community Resource Center confirms these are the official voucher agencies for the region and provides their program links on the same renter page. The HCRC’s role is to connect you to those section 8 programs in Texas and to rentals that accept assistance.
HCRC homebuyer and homeowner programs
Prospective homebuyers will find multiple programs through HCRC referrals. The resources combined both government and non-profit options.
- Harris County's Down Payment Assistance Program is one of the main options; current criteria published by the County include first-time buyer status, a minimum 580 credit score, debt-to-income limits, and purchase price caps that vary for existing versus new homes. The program is limited to unincorporated areas of Harris County.
- Anyone looking to buy a home in Houston city limits also has options. Potential buyers inside Houston city limits should look at the City of Houston Homebuyer Assistance Program, which offers up to $50,000 for income-qualified households.
Current homeowners in Harris County can get help too. Anyone looking to stabilize or repair a house can also start with the HCRC. Harris County’s housing department lists active offerings for home repair, single-family reconstruction, and new construction opportunities for qualified buyers. These programs change as funding cycles open and close, which is why the HCRC’s navigators are valuable; staff can confirm what is open now and where to apply.
Although the organization does not provide monetary aid itself to struggling individuals, HCRC connects clients with either government grants or Houston area agencies that offer emergency financial assistance. There are funds available for paying rent and mortgage as well as utilities such as natural gas, electric, phone and water bills. Housing and Community Resource Center notes that most agencies provide financial support to clients once a year at most, for one month worth of expenses.
Emergency help is coordinated by Housing and Community Resource Center
Referrals to local non-profits and financial assistance programs are available from Harris County Housing and Community Resource Center. The agency partners with organizations across the county to help those that are struggling with their bills, with a focus on housing needs. Families can get linkage to resources and learn about options available to them for preventing evictions or a foreclosure.
- The Center is in effect a connector for emergency and legal help that frequently accompanies housing problems. From the HCRC Navigators you can locate agencies by ZIP code for rent and utility aid, find links to financial empowerment resources, and get routed to free legal services in Harris County for issues like eviction defense or housing discrimination.
- The HCRC center also highlights fair housing information and provides a direct path to complaint and referral resources. If your need stems from a disaster, Harris County’s HCRC can help with FEMA applications and appeals.
In general, all support is provided as a last resort. HCRC adds that anyone seeing financial help needs to solicit assistance from multiple agencies or non-profits. So they need to attend credit counseling, call on Harris County agencies themselves, and take other steps first.
When seeking emergency help, for proof of need, the agencies will require clients to provide specific documentation, such as final notice of a utility or phone bill, an eviction notice, payroll stub if applicable. Other proof generally needed from HCRC partners include Social Security cards of all household members, photo identification, and Social Security disability verification letter if applicable. Individuals should check with individual agencies regarding any other needed documentation as each organization and program administered has different requirements.
Contact for Harris County Housing and Community Resource Center resources
HCRC also has other support services, information, and guidance. The organization is located at 8410 Lantern Point Dr, Houston, TX 77054 and can be reached by phone at 832-927-4955 or send an email to [email protected] Staff can direct callers to the proper resource for their needs.
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