Assistance
The Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds a number of rental assistance programs, including:
· Public housing programs is low-income housing that is actually operated by your local Housing Agency (HA)
· Section 8 Rental Assistance programs in which the housing agency gives you, the tenant, a voucher. With a Housing Choice Tenant-Based Voucher, you find your own rental unit that meets HUD standards with a landlord who will accept Voucher subsidies. With a Project-Based Voucher, you must agree to live in a unit in a specific Section 8 project.
Other federal rental programs
In rural communities, the Department of Agriculture provides rental assistance programs, home improvement and repair loans and grants, and self-help housing loans to low-income individuals and families. You can find out more about these programs by visiting the Rural Housing Service web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/ or by contacting your local Rural Development office (check the Federal Government section of your telephone book).
