Help with rent and housing: Section 8, shelter and eviction help
Help with housing costs comes from several places. Local housing agencies run Section 8 vouchers and public housing, but waiting lists are often long. Emergency help with rent comes from state and local programs. If you have no place to stay, start with shelter.
If you have no place to stay
Call 211. In most of the country, dialing 211 connects you with local social services and referrals for emergency housing. The Find Shelter tool from HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, lists shelters, food pantries, health clinics and clothing help near any location.
HUD pays for local homeless programs through its Continuum of Care (CoC) program. Groups that get this money must use one shared process, called coordinated entry, to assess people who are homeless or about to be and refer them to housing and services. HUD's homeless help page lists a local contact for each area. See help if you are homeless.
Veterans can call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-424-3838, free and open 24 hours a day.
1. Find your local public housing agency
Two federal programs are run by local public housing agencies (PHAs) with money from HUD. A PHA can be a state, county or city agency or another public body. There are around 2,000 PHAs running vouchers.
- Housing Choice Vouchers, also called Section 8, help pay rent for a home you find yourself. The PHA pays its part of the rent straight to the landlord, and you pay the rest.
- Public housing is rental housing managed by the PHA.
HUD's directory lists every PHA by state. You do not have to live in a PHA's area to apply there. If you lived elsewhere when you applied, it may require you to rent in its area for the first 12 months.
2. Check if you can apply
Your family's yearly income and size decide if you qualify. HUD sets income limits for each metropolitan area and each county outside them, based on the area's median income. The limits for 2026 took effect May 1, 2026. The PHA can tell you the limit for your family size. See help paying rent.
You must be a U.S. citizen or have an eligible immigration status. The head of the household needs a valid Social Security number. Some crimes can make you ineligible.
3. Get on the waiting lists
There is often more need than money, so long waits are common. A PHA may close its waiting list when it already has more families than it can help soon. Check the PHA's website to find out when the list will reopen. HUD says you may need to apply to more than one PHA.
What you need to apply varies by PHA. It usually includes:
- pay stubs and bank information
- papers for other benefits you get, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- proof of citizenship and Social Security cards
Your place on the list depends on how many vouchers are available, when you applied and any preference you qualify for, such as being a veteran or having a disability. Each PHA sets its own preferences, so ask which ones it uses. Tell the PHA when your address, phone number or household size changes. If you do not, you can be dropped from the list.
For public housing, the PHA must tell you its decision in writing. If it finds you are not eligible, it must say why, and you can ask for an informal hearing.
4. When your name comes up
For a voucher, you go to a briefing that explains the rules. Then you get a voucher with 60 to 120 days to find a home, set by the PHA. If you cannot find one in time, ask for an extension. The home must pass an inspection, and the PHA checks that the rent is reasonable for the area. Your share is usually 30 percent of your adjusted monthly income, but it can be as high as 40 percent.
For public housing, you sign a lease with the PHA. Your rent is set from your income. The main formula is 30 percent of your monthly income after allowed deductions.
In both programs, the PHA reviews your income at least once a year. Voucher holders must also report changes in income or in who lives with them right away.
Emergency help with rent
Short-term help with back rent comes from state, tribal and local programs. Each state has its own rules. To find them:
- Call 211.
- Search for rental help in your city, your county and your state.
- Ask at your town hall or city council office, or at the local library.
- Contact your community action agency. More than 1,000 of these local agencies use federal Community Services Block Grant money for housing, utility and emergency help.
After you apply, it can take several weeks to get the money. Some programs also cover moving costs, a security deposit or application fees.
If you are facing eviction
If no eviction lawsuit has been filed yet, apply for rent help and ask your landlord about a repayment plan. Some states and cities have rules that can delay an eviction while you get help.
If your landlord has filed a lawsuit, do not give up. You have the right to file a written answer telling the court why you should not be evicted. Ask the court clerk how long you have to file it and whether there is a court date. If you have applied for rent help, say so in your answer. The judge may delay or dismiss the eviction because you are trying to get help. LawHelp.org explains how to answer an eviction lawsuit in your state.
Talk to a lawyer. You may qualify for free legal aid based on your income. The Legal Services Corporation funds legal aid groups in every state and has a search tool to find the one near you. A HUD-approved housing counselor can also help you make a plan.
Where it works differently
- A state agency runs vouchers for some counties. In Maryland, the state housing department acts as the PHA for Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester counties. Other areas run their own local programs and waiting lists. The state's list was open from April 1 to April 30, 2026, and places were picked by lottery.
- A statewide list. New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs keeps one waiting list for its vouchers across the state. In 2023 it took applications from January 17 to February 3 and picked 20,000 by random lottery. The list is now closed.
State by state
The official statewide page for each state and territory. For a local office near you, search your county or city above.
Sources
- HUD: Housing Choice Voucher applicant and tenant resources
- HUD: Public Housing Program
- HUD: PHA contact information
- Code of Federal Regulations, 24 CFR 5.100: definition of a public housing agency
- HUD User: income limits
- HUD: Find Shelter
- HUD Exchange: Need homeless assistance?
- HUD Exchange: Coordinated Entry
- HUD Exchange: Continuum of Care Program
- USA.gov: Section 8 housing
- USA.gov: Public housing
- USA.gov: Get emergency housing
- USA.gov: Get emergency rent assistance
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Get help paying rent and bills
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: What to do if you're facing eviction
- Administration for Children and Families: Community Services Block Grant
- Legal Services Corporation: I need legal help
- Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development: Housing Choice Voucher Program
- New Jersey Department of Community Affairs: Housing Choice Voucher Program
Checked against the sources above on Oct 16, 2026. GovDir is a guide, not legal advice. The agency that handles your case has the final say.