Housing Assistance for Single Mothers in Utah

Where to start in Utah

Pick the path that matches the problem you have now. Shelter, rent aid, Section 8, public housing, utility help, and legal services use different offices and applications.

For help beyond housing, ASMOM’s Utah assistance guide covers food, health, child care, cash aid, and other state resources.

Quick Utah housing help

Current program status

Agency pages were checked October 12, 2026. Funding and waitlists can change at any time. Each status below is a snapshot, not a promise that a slot or payment is available.

DWS Emergency Assistance

The Emergency Assistance program gives short-term help to some families who may lose housing or utilities because of a crisis beyond their control. It may cover rent, a security deposit, a mortgage payment, or utilities.

Utah’s DWS program page still lists maximum payments of $450 for one month’s rent, $700 for one mortgage payment, and $300 for utilities. These are caps, not amounts every family gets. Eligible families may receive this help once in a 12-month period.

A household must have a dependent child under 18 living at home. DWS also lists an asset limit of $2,000 in assets and possessions DWS counts and a monthly income cap of 185% of the state’s Standard Needs Budget for household size. This is not 185% of the federal poverty level. Check the agency’s current income chart and how it counts your resources before deciding you cannot apply.

DWS asks for proof that a crisis outside the family’s control led to past-due costs, that the family tried other payment options, and that one payment can solve the immediate problem. Be ready to show how you will meet future housing or utility bills. Help is not guaranteed, and these small caps may not cover a large balance.

Use the DWS assistance portal to start an application and manage the case. Save the confirmation and respond quickly if DWS asks for more proof.

Other short-term provider funds

DWS also funds TANF Family Housing through approved local providers. The current provider grant period runs July 2025 through June 2028. Providers may help eligible families with deposits, rent, utilities, mortgage costs, or back payments after assessing a one-time crisis. The program also includes work with a DWS employment counselor, with possible accommodations in domestic violence shelters. The linked grant page is for providers, not a household application. Ask 2-1-1 which local housing provider can screen your family.

ASMOM’s Utah emergency guide gives more starting points for urgent family needs.

Shelter and local housing help

Utah’s Office of Homeless Services does not place people directly. Its homeless services page tells people seeking help to contact 2-1-1 for a provider near them.

When calling, explain where you slept last night and what will happen tonight. Say whether children are with you and whether you need a family shelter, domestic violence shelter, motel referral, transport, or help avoiding homelessness.

Community Action agencies may offer help with rent or deposits, utilities, home repairs, or referrals. The help offered depends on your county and current funds. Ask 2-1-1 for the agency that serves your ZIP code. Ask whether the program is taking new cases, what documents are needed, and whether the agency must speak with your landlord.

Section 8 and housing authority waitlists

The Housing Choice Voucher program, often called Section 8, helps an eligible household rent from a private landlord. Public housing and project-based vouchers are different. They are tied to a housing authority or property.

Salt Lake County

The Housing Connect status page lists its main waiting lists as closed to new applications on October 12, 2026. These include Housing Choice Vouchers, project-based vouchers, Rental Assistance Demonstration units, and public housing in Salt Lake County. Some other affordable properties may still take applications.

Housing Connect does not provide emergency housing. Check its affordable properties and return to the status page for future openings.

Utah County

The Utah County application page still says its Section 8/HCV and Mainstream 5 waiting lists would reopen June 1, 2026. It also lists its owned-housing waiting lists as open. These use separate application portals. Check the live page before applying, since a posted reopening date does not guarantee that applications are still being taken.

If you need a paper application or disability accommodation, the authority lists 801-373-8333. Check whether Provo or another local housing authority also serves your location.

Other Utah areas

Use HUD’s housing authority locator to find public housing agencies. Ask each authority which lists are open, whether local preferences apply, and how to request a reasonable accommodation.

ASMOM’s Section 8 guide explains waitlists, inspections, rent shares, and common voucher scams.

Affordable rentals without a voucher

Some properties have reduced rents or income limits even without a portable voucher.

Use the HUD Resource Locator to find possible housing and nearby public housing agencies. HUD warns that the locator does not show current vacancies or manage property waiting lists, so call each property yourself.

Utah Housing Corporation also has a multifamily project map showing housing developments around the state. Use it to build a contact list, not as proof that a unit is open.

HEAT, utilities, and weatherization

Utah’s HEAT energy program helps low-income families pay heating and cooling bills. Your total household income must be no more than 150% of the federal poverty level. Your household must pay home energy costs. It must have an adult age 18 or older, or someone who is emancipated. At least one household member must be a U.S. citizen or qualified noncitizen. Ask the HEAT office how it counts your household.

The 2026–27 HEAT year runs October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027, or until LIHEAP funds run out. Households with someone age 60 or older, with a disability, or with a child under age 6 may apply starting October 1. The state lists November 1 as the general application opening date. If you have a shutoff notice, ask your local office about crisis aid rather than assuming you must wait.

If a shutoff is close, contact a local HEAT office and ask about crisis help. Bring energy bills, proof of all household income from the prior month, and other documents the office requests.

Ask whether you also qualify for the weatherization program, which can help a qualifying home use less energy. Weatherization is different from a HEAT bill payment; it may require a separate application and home review. For more bill options, use ASMOM’s Utah utility guide.

If food costs are pulling money away from rent, use ASMOM’s Utah SNAP guide for a separate food-benefit path.

Eviction, legal help, and discrimination

This section gives general information, not legal advice. If you receive an eviction notice or court papers, read them right away and get help. Do not assume that an aid application will stop a court case.

The Utah Courts tenant page explains eviction papers. It says a typical nonpayment notice gives a tenant three business days to pay or move. A summons and complaint in an eviction case usually needs an answer within three business days. Other notices may give a different amount of time. Read your own papers and get legal help right away. Do not guess how to count the days.

Save your lease, rent ledger, receipts, notices, court dates, repair requests, and messages. Ask legal aid whether a voucher, public housing, mobile-home park rules, or a covered federal mortgage gives you more rights. Applying for rent aid does not pause a court case.

Save your lease, rent ledger, payment receipts, notices, court dates, repair requests, and messages. Ask a legal advocate whether a voucher, public housing, a mobile-home park, or a covered federal mortgage gives you added protection. An application for rent help does not pause court deadlines.

Utah Legal Services provides plain-language eviction information and may screen eligible people for legal help. Contact help quickly because court deadlines can be short.

If you believe a landlord, seller, or lender treated you unlawfully because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, family status, disability, or another protected reason, use the Utah fair housing page to review the complaint process.

ASMOM’s Utah legal guide gives more state legal resources. If abuse is involved, use the Utah safety guide from a safe device when possible.

Help for homeowners and buyers

If you own the home

Contact the mortgage servicer as soon as a payment may be late. Ask about loss mitigation or a repayment plan.

If you want to buy

Utah Housing Corporation’s homebuyer program page explains mortgages and down payment options. Many programs are loans or deferred second mortgages, not grants. Ask a participating lender to explain payments, rates, and what happens when you sell or refinance.

The state’s first-time homebuyer program was set up for eligible Utah buyers of newly built, never-occupied homes. Published program terms describe an interest-free, payment-deferred loan of up to $20,000 and a usual purchase-price cap of $450,000 (subject to official adjustments and qualifying rules). The home must be financed with a qualifying Utah Housing loan and occupied by the buyer. The loan may need to be repaid when the home is sold or refinanced. Ask a participating lender to confirm current funding and terms before making an offer.

CDCU down payment help may be offered as a deferred loan to qualified buyers, subject to its funding source and counseling requirements. Ask which counseling steps you must complete and whether applications are being accepted and what repayment terms apply before you sign a contract.

ASMOM’s Utah homebuyer guide explains purchase programs and the difference between a grant, deferred loan, second mortgage, and shared-appreciation help.

Documents to gather

Keep paper and secure digital copies in one folder. ASMOM’s documents checklist can help you organize the file.

What to do if help is denied or delayed

Read the notice and find the exact reason. Common reasons include a closed list, missing proof, income limits, an uncovered cost, or no funds.

• Ask for the decision and review instructions in writing.
• Send missing proof through the method named by the agency.
• Save every confirmation, email, letter, and case number.
• Ask when you may reapply or check the list again.
• Ask 2-1-1 whether another agency covers the same need.
• Contact legal aid when housing or court deadlines are involved.

ASMOM’s denied benefits guide explains how to organize notices and follow up. Each housing authority, court, DWS program, and charity has its own review rules.