Housing Assistance for Single Mothers in Tennessee

Where to start

Start with your main problem: If you have no home tonight, request a shelter referral. If you owe rent, ask about local aid and get legal help if you face eviction. If your rent is too high, apply for affordable units and housing lists that are open. If bills are pushing you behind, check energy and food support too.

Food and child care support can help with other bills while you look for housing. See Tennessee SNAP help and Tennessee child care help. These programs do not pay rent directly.

Emergency rent and shelter help

Local homeless services and rent help

THDA funds local providers through the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program. ESG may support shelter, street outreach, homelessness prevention, rapid rehousing, rent arrears, and moving costs. It is not a personal THDA grant. Local providers check who qualifies. The official ESG program guide explains what these services can cover.

Use THDA’s homelessness contacts by county to find a local office. Tell them if you are living in a car, outside, moving between homes, or at risk of eviction. Share whether children are with you and any urgent court date. Ask about coordinated entry, a local housing-needs assessment, and help getting to shelter.

Reality check: A referral is not a shelter reservation or promise of money. Ask what you can do while the office checks your case. Local housing providers may have different rules and funds.

Community Action agencies

Tennessee has 19 Community Action agencies serving all 95 counties. Use the county agency finder to reach the office for your county. Ask if rent, deposits, homelessness prevention, energy aid, transport, or other support is available. One agency may offer some services but not others.

Each program checks its own income, household, county, and emergency rules. Ask if appointments are needed and whether you can send proof online. If one fund is closed, ask for another local referral instead of waiting for it to reopen.

Closed statewide rent program

The former statewide rent program closed July 31, 2025. Beware of sites promising to reopen it or guarantee payment. Ask 211 about local aid instead.

Section 8, THDA, and public housing

The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, also called Section 8, may help eligible households pay rent in a private home. THDA runs HCV in 72 Tennessee counties; other public housing authorities run programs in other areas. The THDA voucher program page lists how its program works and who may apply.

Income limits change by county and household size. THDA says eligibility is generally limited to households at or below 80% of area median income, with many new vouchers reserved for households at 30% or below. Citizenship or eligible immigration-status rules also apply. A family may still be screened for other requirements. Do not assume the same rules apply at every local housing authority.

How to apply to a THDA waitlist

On October 12, 2026, the THDA waitlist openings page showed closed, with no application dates scheduled. Check it again before applying because openings can change. THDA uses online applications during an announced county opening and does not accept paper waitlist applications.

The official application instructions say to select an open county list, complete the form, and save the confirmation number. You may apply to more than one open county list, but must submit a separate application for each; only one application per household is allowed for each list. If you need a computer or a disability-related accommodation, ask the housing office for help.

County exception: If you apply in a THDA county where you have not already lived for 12 months, THDA says you must live in that county for at least 12 months after receiving assistance before moving your voucher to another county or state, subject to program rules. Keep your email, phone, address, and household details up to date in the portal. THDA cannot give a firm wait-time estimate.

Current THDA notice: THDA has announced a change to its voucher bedroom-size standard, based on two people per bedroom. It says not all families will be affected and will contact affected households. If you already have a voucher, read any agency notice and ask how the change affects your case. Do not guess that your rent or bedroom size must change now.

Other housing lists

Use the HUD housing authority finder to ask local agencies about public housing, portable vouchers, and building-specific waitlists. Ask the property office as well as the housing authority about project-based units. THDA says its project-based voucher lists are separate from its HCV waitlist; applicants apply to the property with an open list.

The national housing guide explains the differences. Ask about family units, accessible homes, and any open lists.

Finding affordable rentals

TNHousingSearch is free to use. Search by county, ZIP code, rent, unit size, accessibility needs, or other needs. Listings may include market-rate and income-restricted rentals, so call to confirm the current price and whether a unit is open. You can also ask for help with the search through the locator’s support service.

Before paying an application fee, ask about rent, security deposit, utilities, income limits, any minimum-income rule, screening, bedroom sizes, voucher acceptance, move-in date, and waiting lists. Check which charges would be due before you get a key.

After a move, the Tennessee furniture guide may help you find basic household items and supplies.

Utility and weatherization help

Tennessee’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps some households pay heating or cooling bills. It is energy aid, not rent aid. The THDA LIHEAP page says 19 local agencies serve all 95 counties, and that eligible households have income at or below 60% of state median income. THDA lists a $174–$750 payment range for its 2025–2026 program, based on energy burden and program rules. It does not promise an amount for any one household.

The posted 2025–2026 online application period began November 1, 2025. Check the page and your local agency for the current application status and for later program-year rules. THDA also posts LIHEAP forms and income charts, including 2027 materials. Applications use SmartSimple, and a county agency can help with paperwork. Approved payments go to the energy company, not the applicant.

Ask about crisis help if power is cut off or at risk. Keep your bill, account number, income proof, and any shutoff notice. Other steps appear in the Tennessee utility assistance guide.

Weatherization is different. It may pay for approved work that makes a home use less energy, such as insulation or draft control. The THDA renter energy guide explains the program. Renters may need landlord consent, and services depend on an assessment and available funds.

Eviction, legal, and fair housing help

If you get a detainer warrant, notice to leave, lockout threat, repair dispute, or notice that housing aid may end, keep every page. Write down court dates. Save the lease, rent ledger, receipts, text messages, photos, and landlord letters. Contact legal aid for advice on your own case. The Tennessee legal help guide gives further next steps.

The Tennessee court eviction resources and Help4TN provide information about courts, landlord–tenant problems, forms, and finding legal help. Courts and housing agencies have different rules. Never assume that applying for aid stops a case. Follow court instructions and ask a qualified legal worker what rights or appeals apply.

Fair housing protection

Federal fair housing law bans many kinds of housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or family status (such as having children). The THDA fair housing complaint page describes help from THDA for its programs, the federal HUD process, and Tennessee’s Attorney General Civil Rights Enforcement Division. The state enforcement change took effect in 2025.

If you think discrimination happened, save ads, texts, emails, and denial letters. Ask a fair housing worker about the right place to file and the deadline. For violence or stalking tied to housing, the Tennessee safety guide offers more support paths. A trained advocate can help you discuss options safely.

Homebuyer and homeowner help

Homebuyer loans and repair programs are not emergency rent or shelter programs. Check them only if buying a home or repairing a home you own fits your situation.

THDA Great Choice Plus

THDA’s Great Choice Plus program is down payment or closing cost help that goes with an eligible Great Choice first mortgage. It has different second-loan options, not an automatic gift:

• Deferred option: up to $6,000 or up to $10,000, at 0% interest. It is forgiven at the end of 10 years. If you sell or refinance before then, THDA says the loan is due in full.
• Amortizing option: up to 5% of the sale price, capped at $15,000, as a 30-year second mortgage with the same interest rate as the first loan.
• New construction option: for eligible newly built or planned construction, THDA lists up to $25,000 as a 15-year amortizing second loan at 0% interest. This option has its own requirements.

Ask an approved lender to show total monthly costs, cash needed, fees, and repayment terms in writing. Some borrowers will not qualify for these loans.

USDA rural home repairs

USDA’s Section 504 repair program offers loans up to $40,000 to qualifying low- or very-low-income homeowners in eligible rural areas. Grants up to $10,000 are for qualifying homeowners age 62 or older to address health and safety hazards. A younger single mother may qualify for the loan but not the age-based grant.

USDA checks the home, ownership, income, need, and ability to get other credit. Loans generally have a 20-year term and 1% fixed interest. A grant may have to be repaid if the home is sold within three years. Applications are taken on an ongoing basis, subject to funds and agency review.

If you already own a home and are at risk of foreclosure, the THDA emergency housing page also directs homeowners to housing counseling. Ask for a free or low-cost qualified counselor before paying for a “foreclosure rescue” service.

Documents and information to gather

Not every program needs every item. Ask what other proof can be used if a document is lost. Keep digital or paper copies, confirmation numbers, dates, and the names of people you speak with.

Phone scripts you can use