Michigan rent assistance starts with State Emergency Relief and local charities
Church funds, county charities, and community action agencies may each hold separate rent money in Michigan, and the state adds its own emergency program on top of them. One online application through MI Bridges reaches that state program, while the local funds are asked for one by one. This page explains the statewide options first, with links to Michigan county rent assistance pages at the end.
- NOTE: A Michigan landlord may give a tenant who is behind a written demand for rent that allows only seven days, while the state's main emergency program often needs about ten days to process an application. Ask for help when the rent first becomes a problem instead of waiting for a notice. A tenant who already has court papers needs a different kind of help — start with the Michigan eviction help and rehousing page and the low income legal aid in Michigan page.
Emergency rent and deposit programs across Michigan
State Emergency Relief (SER)
State Emergency Relief is Michigan's main emergency program for housing costs, run by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Depending on the emergency, SER may pay a security deposit, moving costs, utility bills, or back rent in some situations, and approved payments go straight to the landlord or the utility company. Income and asset limits apply, and many households are asked to cover part of the bill themselves as a copayment.
Apply online through the MI Bridges system at https://newmibridges.michigan.gov or in person at the local MDHHS office, and questions may be answered on the MDHHS assistance line at (855) 275-6424. More detail on the program and its rules is on the the NHPB Michigan SER guide, and MDHHS caseworkers may also refer a household to other help covered on the MDHHS housing programs in Michigan page.
HARAs and homeless prevention programs
Every Michigan county has a designated Housing Assessment and Resource Agency, called a HARA (website: https://www.michigan.gov/mcteh/governance/housing-assessment-and-resource-agency-hara, that serves as the entry point for homeless prevention and rehousing help in its area. A HARA may help a renter find sources of rent money, work out a housing plan, or move into a new unit, and the agencies keep counseling tenants even when direct funds are low. The agency for each county, and how these programs work, is on the Michigan eviction help and rehousing page on this site.
MSHDA and Section 8 vouchers
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority runs the largest statewide voucher program in the country, with Housing Choice Vouchers in use across all 83 counties alongside dozens of city and county housing authorities. MSHDA opens its waiting lists county by county for short windows, and applications are taken online at https://www.mshda.myhousing.com while a window is open. A voucher may lower the rent for the long term, but it is not money for this month's bill, and a plain-English guide is on the housing choice voucher program in Michigan page.
Michigan Veterans Trust Fund
Michigan has kept its own emergency fund for veterans since 1946. The Michigan Veterans Trust Fund may approve a one-time grant for back rent or another urgent bill for a wartime-era veteran with an honorable discharge, and some older peacetime-era veterans may also qualify under a newer expansion. Grants are generally not given more than once in a two-year period, and applications go through the MVTF committee in the veteran's home county, usually at the county veteran services office with details at https://www.michigan.gov/mvaa/quality-of-life/emergency-assistance/panel-content.
Community action agencies
Community action agencies cover all 83 Michigan counties, and their offices may hold rent or deposit funds alongside utility and weatherization programs. A caseworker there may also help complete the SER application and check the household against other local programs. Find the agency for each area on the community action agencies in Michigan directory page.
The Salvation Army in Michigan
The Salvation Army operates centers in most Michigan counties, and many may offer small one-time amounts for back rent or a deposit when funds allow. Help is limited and conditions apply, so call the nearest center before visiting. Application details are on the how to get help with rent from MI Salvation Army page on NHPB.
Free legal help for renters
Michigan Legal Help at https://www.michiganlegalhelp.org has plain-language eviction guides and a county-by-county lookup for the regional legal aid office that may represent income-qualifying tenants at no cost. Each regional nonprofit law firm covers its own group of counties, and the full guide to services is on the NHPB legal aid in Michigan page.
USDA Rural Development
Renters in the Upper Peninsula and Michigan's rural northern and western counties may apply for an apartment in a USDA-financed rural rental property, where the rent is set by household income. Contact the Michigan state office: 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 48823. Phone: (517) 324-5190. For questions about rental properties, call (800) 292-8293. Website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/mi.
State and federal contacts for Michigan tenants
HUD's Michigan renting page at https://www.hud.gov/states/michigan/renting lists federal programs and local contacts, and free HUD-approved housing counselors may be reached at (800) 569-4287. MSHDA posts voucher and renter information at https://www.michigan.gov/mshda, and for the emergency relief program, https://newmibridges.michigan.gov is the single application for SER and other state benefits. Dialing 211, or searching https://mi211.org/housing-assistance, may turn up nearby charity rent funds as a supplement to the contacts above.
What Michigan renters say worked - or ask questions
SER decisions, copayments, and processing times vary from one county MDHHS office to another. Renters use the moderated NHPB forum to compare how their applications went and which local charities had funds. Read recent posts or ask a question in the moderated Michigan rental assistance forum discussion.
Michigan rent assistance by county and city
County charities, HARAs, township offices, and churches may each run their own local funds. Select an area below for local contacts and application details.
Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County
Berrien County
Detroit and Wayne County
Eaton and Calhoun County
Flint and Genesee County
Grand Rapids and Kent County
Ingham County
Jackson County
Kalamazoo County
Macomb County
Midland County
Monroe and Lenawee County
Oakland County
Ottawa County
Saginaw County
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