Rental assistance in Pennsylvania
Find rental assistance programs in Pennsylvania for low-income families. Get financial help moving into affordable housing or an apartment along with funds for paying security deposits or apply for assistance to pay back rent. The goal is to help seniors, single mothers, the disabled and working poor with housing needs. Find how to get help with rent near you in Pennsylvania.
Several organizations work together to provide housing as well as rental assistance to the low income. A combination of free grant money or hardship funds is used. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, local non-profits as well as charities along with the Department of Human Services (DHS) offer many of the rent assistance programs. They all partner together to prevent evictions as well as rehouse families or single people in PA. They also operate Homeless Assistance Programs, which is offer rent relief, for people that need a place to live.
The services have many goals. There are resources available that can help prevent evictions. Agencies try help low-income tenants or others avoid homelessness by giving money to pay back rent and assistance is even offered for those people who are currently seeking a place to live. The goal of the various PA organizations that help pay rent or a deposit are to help ensure everyone, no matter their income, is able to receive some form of short and long term housing stability.
Government rental assistance programs in PA
The state of Pennsylvania Homeless Assistance Program (HAP) helps families pay their rent and ensure that homelessness can be avoided. Services are offered for people who are in danger of being evicted from their home or apartment, with a focus on low-income parents, seniors and the disabled in PA. Any money to pay pasty due rent is combined with long term solutions.
Individuals who have already been evicted, and that are homeless or need a place to live, can use this program to get advice on solutions. For example, get information on low income housing units, assistance with moving costs or money for paying security deposits or first months rent and other help. Some of the specific housing services available from HAP include the following.
- Emergency rental assistance is offered for people who are in danger of being evicted from their home or apartment. HAP helps ensure the funds go to people most in need.
- Qualified individuals may be able to get long term financial help with their housing payments. This includes help from the government for rent, security deposits, moving costs and utilities. A local county Homeless Assistance Program provider will coordinate services with you and your landlord.
- Free tenant mediation or lawyers are provided by HAP in Pennsylvania. Case managers as well as local attorneys will work hard with your landlord to maximize your chances for staying in your home or apartment. they help tenants apply for local rent relief programs and mediate a solution. Locate free pro bono lawyers for renters in PA.
- Moving cost help and rehousing is available, including for seniors moving to a mobile home. If you just can’t afford to pay the rent to stay where you are living now, then a case manager will work with you to find a more affordable apartment in the region. In addition, the HAP program can also be used to move you out of shelter or transitional housing into an affordable apartment.
Section 8 housing vouchers are for very low-income families as well as people close to, or living in poverty. They can get rent subsidized homes from this HUD program. The federal government, working with Public Housing Authorities in PA, provides income-based housing as well as emergency section 8 apartments or homes. In general, Pennsylvania residents will need to pay up to 30% of their household income towards their monthly rent. More on section 8 in PA.
Homeless prevention and rehousing includes hardship grants to pay back rent. Several charity organizations as well as non-profits work with the state as well as housing advocates. Struggling tenants, the unemployed and people close to eviction can get free grant money, legal advice or consultations, vouchers and more. Get details on eviction prevention in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania United Way coordinates rent relief programs, both locally and statewide. The non-profit partners with charities and Human Services to help tenants find, and pay for, housing. All of referrals to emergency or long term rent payment help is free, and learn more here. https://www.pa211.org/get-help/housing-shelter/.
In addition to the other programs below, call the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare or Human Services at 1-800-692-7462. Struggling renters can call their local community action agency or social service office. Human Services can help low-income households and struggling tenants meet their housing needs. Clients can learn about all the rent assistance programs that are available to them.
Housing and temporary help with rent in PA
Transitional or Bridge Housing in Pennsylvania is a short term solution and is also part of the process. This “Bridge” will move families or single adults from being homeless into permanent housing somewhere in your region, with future funds to help with rent on the new affordable apartment. This transitional housing is usually the next step up from an emergency shelter.
- This service will allow the tenant to stay in an apartment or shared facility for up to 18 months for a small co-pay on the monthly rent depending on their total household income. Participants of this program will continue to receive case management services and possibly cash assistance to assist with bills, including the rent, as well as housing expenses over the short term.
Emergency homeless shelters are available across Pennsylvania for people who are currently homeless and have no permanent residence to move into. Some of the shelters focus on victims of domestic violence, women with kids or unemployed.
- The Emergency Shelter component of the housing assistance programs will provide applications to rental deposit and moving cost assistance as well as temporary shelter for a short period of time. During the time that someone is living in a shelter, they will be provided with case management services (see above) to assist with securing more permanent housing and assist with long term self-sufficiency.
Rent payment help from Pennsylvania housing stability services
Longer term housing stability in PA is combined with rent assistance. As providing tenants with funds to help pay the rent on a house without stability is not a solution in itself. The free services are designed to help families in identifying their needs, strengths and goals. This will also identify what may be needed for long term self-sufficiency. Social workers and case managers from various Pennsylvania agencies will work with clients to understand the reasons why they became near homeless or need need help with their rent.
- The primary goal of Case Management is to provide tenants, in addition to grant money for rental arrears, the support they need to prevent from ever being in a homeless situation again. So this can be fairly wide ranging. Some of the many services offered may include job preparation, budgeting, debt reduction, or referral to any needed alcohol and drug services. This is in addition to funds to help the tenant pay their rent.
- This component, which is above and beyond the Homeless Assistance Program, involves a supportive housing plan. This includes rental assistance for an affordable home or apartment for people faced with eviction or the homeless
Senior mobile home assistance is available in Pennsylvania. The elderly, retirees and senior citizens ranging in age from 60 to 70 will be able to get help both moving into a mobile home community and paying any monthly fees for the property, including lot rent. The state of PA has a wide range of safe and affordable communities for the elderly, and locate senior mobile homes for rent.
Local Pennsylvania organization that help pay rent
Select a city or county below for information as well as referrals to applications to rent assistance programs in PA that can help low income families, the homeless, and struggling tenants. Get grants or loans from charities, the government, churches or social services in Pennsylvania.
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