Housing Assistance in Arkansas
As the cost of living continues to increase, having secure and safe housing has become a huge challenge. This greatly affects low-income earners, particularly single-mother families. In this article, we will discuss some of the options available for housing assistance in Arkansas.
Statewide Housing Assistance
Better Community Developments Inc. (BCD) is an organization that is highly engaged in the community through its affordable housing program which assists low-income families including single moms to become homeowners. The Affordable Housing Program they conduct is certified by the Arkansas Development Finance Authority to offer monthly homebuyer-education courses. The participants will then be eligible for state grants to help with costs associated with home buying. The BCD operates an Empowerment Centre that houses a state-licensed treatment program, permanent housing. The organization’s instrumental housing programs offer a secure place for the homeless in the community. Their facilities offer ongoing, permanent housing that allows residents to stay as long as they need the supports and the structure to get them on their feet. They offer homeownership assistance services and training to individuals and families. They guide them through the processes of buying a home, insuring the home, rehabilitation of the home, maintenance, and management of a home, and build assets through financial education and affordable housing. http://bcdinc.org/
Emergency Housing Assistance
The Little Rock Compassion Center, Inc. is an organization that is dedicated to offering homeless housing assistance. The compassion center offers shelter and 250 beds each night to Men, Women, and Families. The facility is available to all people groups in the city. http://www.lrcompassioncenter.org/
Rent Assistance
Modest Needs Organization assists with monthly bills for an individual or family living paycheck-to-paycheck cannot afford to pay at the time of their application. They assist individuals who are required to take unpaid leave from work due to their child’s illness and now they cannot afford the cost of their car insurance, or if the individual was in a car accident and cannot afford the month’s rent or mortgage payment because they had to pay a deductible to repair the car. Modest Needs pays bills on a one-time basis, given that the situation is a documentable emergency.
The organization does not make a rental payment if an applicant is renting from a family member. They also do not assist with rental deposits because the payment will be returned to the applicant as cash, once the rental term is over. https://www.modestneeds.org/index.asp
Utility Bill (Heating, Water, Electricity, etc.) Assistance
Help Network Inc. is an organization that works with low-income families including single mom families as well as individuals, the elderly, disabled persons, and veterans daily basis to ensure that they can keep their utilities connected. The organization helps those faced with an emergency. https://helpnetworkinc.net/
Charities and Churches Housing Assistance
Our House organization operates a safe shelter, designed in a dormitory-style home for men, women and children. There are two dorms available; one for men and one for women, and children. The shelter offers essential hygiene items, three meals a day, and clothing to its residents. The campus has facilities and includes a commercial kitchen, a dining room, common areas, a playground, and a garden. The facility has several housing options for its current residents, including apartment-style or family house style housing programs. The family house has more privileges as well as privacy even though it comes with a little more responsibility. Single mothers with children often live in that housing area and this allows them to have a smooth transition into permanent housing, which is the main goal. https://ourhouseshelter.org/
Turning Point Harvest Center houses the homeless as well as helps in avoiding homelessness through utility assistance services when funds are available. The church has a secured apartment complex for single mothers as well. They also offer parenting classes through support groups and projects. http://www.tpointministries.org/
The River City Ministry is a nonprofit organization dedicated to offering basic needs to the community and assisting individuals to build their relationship with God. The ministry’s social services department began managing the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) housing programs for homelessness prevention and intervention. The organization has a social services team that assists with case management through which they help participants through the housing process. https://www.rivercityministry.org/
Homeless Shelter Help – Preventing Homelessness
The Havenwood program offers transitional housing for single mothers and their children in a supportive environment. The program helps families in need to gain economic independence and eventually move into permanent housing. The Havenwood program is designed to help single mothers for 2 years. Within this period, they should be able to eradicate homelessness and secure a job or attend school and also volunteer in the organization. https://www.nwahavenwood.org/
The Gamma House is a shelter offering transitional housing assistance for homeless women and children. Their goal of transitional housing is to end chronic homelessness by making an environment that allows women to find the skills they need to have a successful and self-sufficient life for themselves and their children. The residents are assisted to gain independence through a variety of services provided to them. These services are meant to support them spiritually, physically, and emotionally. The organization helps each resident in taking responsibility for her own life. http://gammahouse.org/index.php
Central Arkansas Team Care for the Homeless (CATCH) is a non-profit organization that aims to offer a community-based system that helps the homeless as well as individuals and families at risk of facing homelessness. The organization gives them access to housing services. http://www.catcharkansas.org/
The Metropolitan Housing Alliance (MHA) is an organization that has obtained approval to be part of a new program authorized by the Congress of United States and managed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program is called the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program. The housing alliance will be transforming its public housing units to become what is known as Project-Based Voucher units. Residents of the current housing units, will not be affected by this change. Each household is still expected to pay rent under the same structure now in place. http://lrhousing.org/rad/
Home Improvement Grants
Universal Housing Development Corporation (UHDC) offers Home Rehabilitation which engages licensed contractors to assist applicants to meet home repair goals. This is made possible by accessing grants and low-interest loans. Funding used by the UHDC for the home repairs is accessible from a variety of sources and each has its requirements. They send out applications when requested and utilize the information that the applicant provides to determine eligibility for each program. When the funding that matches your application is available, they will contact the applicant to update them and submit documentation. They evaluate the work and write up the renovations needed to be done to the home. The applications are prioritized according to the needs of the homeowner and the requirements of the program funding the work. The organization’s aim is to provide a safe, decent, and sanitary place to live, free of health hazards. https://www.uhdchousing.org/welcome.html
The links below provide more information on the numerous housing assistance facilities available in Arkansas.
https://humanservices.arkansas.gov/images/uploads/dco/ArkansasHomelessShelters.pdf
http://www.arhungeralliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Housing-Guide_Pulaski-County.pdf
