Providing for your family can be quite challenging, especially if you are a single father with a low income. One of the greatest hurdles you will encounter is finding housing for you and your children. With clean, safe, and decent housing comes hefty prices, so housing assistance programs from the government can be a lifesaver in these cases.
If you are interested in applying for single father grants for housing, you must first check the eligibility requirements.
Federal Housing Programs For Single Fathers And How To Check Eligibility
The federal government offers single father grants for housing through its different departments. However, you can’t directly apply for them in the federal offices. Instead, you should visit your local agencies to get everything started.
Before you give them a call, here are some things you must check to determine your eligibility:
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers three main assistance programs to low-income individuals and families. They can access benefits through Public Housing Program, Privately-Owned Subsidized Apartments, or the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8).
The requirements for eligibility, as well as the benefits one might get, depend on the following factors:
- Annual gross income — must meet lower-income or very-low-income limits based on your area
- Qualification as individual, elderly, or family
- U.S. citizenship or immigration status
As a single parent, you may be eligible for three types of housing programs:
- Emergency Shelters – You and your children will get a safe place to stay for a few days to a few weeks when something unforeseen happens.
- Transitional Housing – Low-income transitional housing programs are also offered to single fathers and mothers while waiting for an apartment’s long-term lease. Usually, transitional housing arrangements last for three to nine months.
- Free Apartments – Though it is almost always unavailable, there are instances where an apartment offers a free 12-month lease to low-income families. Most of the time, you will receive a partial subsidy, where you may need to pay the minimum amount required by the local authorities — 10% of your gross monthly income or 30% of your net monthly income, whichever is highest.
If you want to learn more about these housing opportunities, you can contact a public housing agency in your area.
VA Housing Assistance
If you are a single father who is a former serving member of the military or a surviving spouse of one, you may also check the Veterans Administration’s housing assistance program. The goal of the program is to help veterans and their families buy, build, improve, or update their homes.
Depending on your situation, you may be eligible for VA direct and VA-backed home loans, VA disability housing grants, and Specially Adapted Housing grants.
These housing benefits require service of at least 90 continuous days for present service members but can vary depending on a veteran’s time of active duty. They must also be honorably discharged to be granted eligibility.
USDA Rural Housing Assistance
If you are a resident in a rural area, you should consider the housing assistance offered by the USDA.
To boost agricultural activities in rural communities across the country and support agricultural workers, the Department of Agriculture also offers various USDA rural housing assistance programs. These offerings range from house rentals, direct home loans, guaranteed home loans, repair loans, and housing preservation grants.
All USDA housing assistance programs are targeted toward the disabled, elderly, and low-income residents, including single-father households. You can contact your local USDA office for specific eligibility requirements.
Conclusion
Housing benefits for single fathers are widely available, not only from private organizations but also from the federal government. However, the eligibility for each housing assistance varies per program and locality. If you wish to apply to any of them, please visit each department’s local office in your city or state for more information.
Aside from housing, there are scholarship grants for single fathers to help them improve their and their children’s lives. If you’re interested, check out the rest of Gov Relations today!
