Housing Assistance in Indiana

Where to start

Start with the problem that could harm your family first. You can work on short-term and long-term housing at the same time.

Before you apply, build one folder for IDs, income proof, household records, notices, bills, and application numbers.

Quick help table

Emergency shelter and homelessness help

Call 2-1-1 if your family has nowhere safe to stay. Ask for family shelter, homeless outreach, coordinated entry, motel or overflow options, and transportation help if you cannot reach the referral.

Most Indiana counties are part of the Balance of State CoC. It covers 91 of Indiana’s 92 counties. Marion County has a separate Continuum of Care. A Continuum of Care is a local network, not one shelter or one payment program.

The coordinated entry system helps communities assess housing needs and prioritize limited programs. It does not promise shelter, a voucher, or an apartment. Tell the intake worker where your family slept last night, when you must leave, and whether children, pregnancy, disability, medical needs, or safety concerns are involved.

Ask each agency for a second option if the first shelter is full. If violence is involved, tell a trained advocate what help you need and ask about confidential shelter and legal services; do not share a location when it could put you at risk.

In Marion County, ask 2-1-1 for the local coordinated-entry contact. Elsewhere, ask for the Balance of State intake contact for your county. If your family slept in a car, motel, or someone else’s home because you had to leave your own, explain that in the intake call.

Rent help and township assistance

State rental assistance status

The pandemic-era Indiana Emergency Rental Assistance programs are not a current statewide application path. The official state rental portal says there are no open calls for applications. Do not send personal documents to an old application link or anyone who promises approval for a fee.

Township trustee help

Indiana township trustees administer township assistance for residents who cannot meet basic needs. Depending on local rules and the household’s situation, assistance may address rent, shelter, utilities, food, medicine, or other necessary costs.

Apply through the trustee serving your home address, not just the closest office. Ask the township or county government which trustee covers the address. The original official township assistance guide explains written standards, decisions, and denial notices. Request the office’s written standards and an application. You may need income, expense, residence, and emergency records.

Ask for an application even if a staff member thinks you may not qualify. Tell the office about any eviction, shutoff, shelter, or court deadline. Payment may go directly to the landlord, utility, or other provider rather than to the applicant.

Community Action Agencies

Indiana has 22 designated Community Action Agencies serving all 92 counties. Use the state agency finder to locate the office for your county. Services vary, but they may include emergency assistance, shelter referrals, homelessness help, utility programs, affordable housing, transportation, food, and Head Start.

Call your county’s Community Action Agency and ask if its rental or homelessness funds are currently open, whether an appointment is needed, and which other service can lower monthly costs if it has no rent money. A countywide service area does not mean every program has funds.

If the trustee says no: Request the written decision that explains the reason and appeal rights. You generally have 15 days from the date of an adequate written denial notice to ask the county commissioners for an appeal. Ask the county commissioners’ office how to file, keep proof, and call legal aid if the date is near. A verbal comment from a receptionist is not a substitute for the application and decision process.

Eviction help and renter rights

This section gives general information, not legal advice. If you receive an eviction notice or court papers, keep the envelope, notice, lease, rent ledger, receipts, messages, repair requests, and photos. Read every deadline and attend the hearing.

Indiana Legal Services explains that a landlord generally cannot force a tenant out by changing locks, removing doors, or blocking entry without a court order when the tenant has not abandoned the home. The facts of each case matter, so seek legal advice about your own situation.

Indiana Legal Services offers free civil legal help to some low-income residents, though applying does not promise a lawyer. The ASMOM Indiana legal help guide covers other legal paths. You can also ask a court’s self-help desk how to find the right forms and hearing information.

If you believe a landlord or housing provider treated you unfairly because of a protected class, review the Indiana fair housing page. Complaint deadlines apply, and ordinary repair or deposit disputes may require a different legal process.

Indiana courts describe a pre-eviction diversion option for some filed cases. If both you and the landlord agree and the court approves, the case may be made confidential and paused for 90 days while you work on next steps. It is not automatic. Ask the judge or legal aid whether it fits your case. Keep going to court unless the court gives a different instruction.

Section 8, public housing, and local authorities

The Housing Choice Voucher program is often called Section 8. It helps eligible households pay part of the rent in approved private housing. The household usually pays a share based on income, while the housing agency pays an approved amount to the landlord.

Indiana does not have one statewide waiting-list status. The IHCDA voucher program serves places without a local city housing authority. It does not serve Indianapolis or Marion County through its standard coverage; check local housing authorities there.

The IHCDA new applicant page has county-based waiting-list notices. Check the application dates and the listed service provider before applying. Notices can stay on a webpage after an opening closes. Apply only through the listed agency or official application system.

Use HUD housing contacts to find local authorities. Ask each office about Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, and project-based lists because one may be open while another is closed.

The ASMOM Section 8 guide covers waitlists, rent shares, inspections, and papers to gather. The emergency rental guide covers other steps while you wait.

Referral-only vouchers

Not all vouchers take direct applications. IHCDA says Mainstream and Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) vouchers for certain people ages 18–61 with disabilities use eligible service-provider referrals. Family Unification Program vouchers are referred through the Indiana Department of Child Services for qualifying families and young people leaving foster care. Stability Vouchers use coordinated-entry referrals. HUD-VASH vouchers use Veterans Affairs referrals. Ask the agency working with your family whether it can make a referral; these are not ordinary public waitlists.

Affordable apartment search

Use Indiana Housing Now to search for affordable, accessible, and market-rate rentals by county, city, rent, bedroom size, and accessibility needs. A listing does not mean a unit is open today, so contact the property directly.

Ask whether the rent is income-based or only income-restricted. Also ask about the deposit, application fee, bedroom rules, accessibility, pet rules, utility costs, and waiting-list process. Keep a simple list of every property, date called, and answer received.

If you have secured an apartment but cannot afford beds or basic items, the ASMOM Indiana furniture help guide explains local furniture-bank referrals, donated household items, and questions to ask before moving in.

Utility and weatherization help

Utility help can protect housing when a shutoff or high bill makes rent harder to pay. Indiana’s Energy Assistance Program helps eligible households with heating and electric costs during the program year.

Current 2026–27 dates: Applications opened October 1, 2026, and close April 30, 2027. IHCDA replaced EAPConnect with the LITT online system. Use the official EAP application page or ask your county’s Local Service Provider (LSP) about applying online, by mail, or in person. Eligible households may get help with electric or heat bills, including some crisis cases. A normal application may take time, and a request alone does not stop a shutoff.

If you have a shutoff or no heat: Tell the LSP and the utility company today. Official EAP rules call for a step to reduce harm within 48 hours in a qualifying heating crisis or 18 hours for a documented life-threatening crisis. That step does not always mean approval or payment. Ask the utility for a payment plan and other protection while the agency reviews your file.

The Indiana weatherization program may provide approved energy-saving work for qualified renters or homeowners. It does not pay rent, and rental work may require the property owner’s cooperation.

Ask the LSP or utility about current crisis support, payment plans, and other emergency funds. Weatherization and EAP serve different needs: weatherization reduces future energy use, while EAP helps with approved energy bills. Neither is a general rent grant.

School help for children without stable housing

If your family is staying in a shelter, motel, car, campground, or another person’s home because you lost housing, contact your child’s school. Indiana’s McKinney-Vento program covers children who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate place to sleep.

Ask for the district or charter school homeless liaison. The liaison may help with enrollment, school stability, transportation, meals, records, supplies, and referrals. The school does not usually pay rent, but it can help keep children connected to school during a housing crisis.

Homebuyer help is different

Down-payment programs are not emergency rent or shelter help. They are for buyers who can qualify for a mortgage and meet current income, credit, property, and lender rules.

The IHCDA homebuyer programs page lists current mortgage and down-payment options. Ask an approved lender how the assistance is structured, whether it must be repaid, and what costs you must cover yourself before making plans.

Do not plan around an old offer: the official HomeBoost program says its 2026 funding round is closed. Ask a lender or HUD-approved housing counselor about programs that are open for your purchase date.

Documents to gather

Each program has its own list. Do not delay an emergency call because one document is missing. Ask what else the office can accept.

Keep copies of everything you submit. Do not send Social Security numbers, IDs, leases, or bank records to an unverified person or social media account.

Related Indiana help

Food, child care, and health benefits do not replace housing aid, but they may free money for rent and utilities.

• Use Indiana’s official SNAP income guide for grocery benefits. Income figures changed October 1, 2026, so check the current state table instead of an old screenshot.
• The ASMOM Indiana child care guide explains CCDF, Pre-K, and care-provider starting points.

Ask 2-1-1 about food pantries, transit help, school supplies, and move-in needs. These do not pay rent on their own, but they may reduce costs while you work on housing.