Housing Assistance for Single Mothers in Minnesota

Where to start in Minnesota

Housing help is split among state agencies, counties, Tribal Nations, housing authorities, shelters, legal groups, and local nonprofits. You may need to contact more than one place.

ASMOM’s Minnesota emergency guide and national housing help guide give more next steps.

Quick reference table

Emergency rent help in Minnesota

Emergency Assistance

Minnesota Emergency Assistance is a cash-grant program for families with low incomes facing an emergency such as eviction, foreclosure, or a utility shutoff. The Emergency Assistance page says you do not have to receive Minnesota Family Investment Program benefits to apply.

Who may qualify: You must meet income rules and have an emergency the grant can help resolve. You normally cannot receive Emergency Assistance if you received it during the past 12 months. Counties and Tribal Nations may use extra rules or a longer waiting period.

Where to apply: Apply through MNbenefits or contact the official county and Tribal directory. Upload the notice, lease, rent amount, income proof, and other papers the worker requests.

Reality check: Applying does not stop an eviction case by itself. The office may need proof that the payment will solve the emergency. Keep talking with legal aid and your landlord while the application is reviewed.

Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program

The Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP) helps Minnesota households that are homeless or facing a housing crisis. It can support rent, deposits, utilities, housing searches, and other services allowed by the local provider.

Who may qualify: Minnesota Housing lists a household income limit at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. A provider must also assess the housing crisis and decide what level of help may fit.

Where to apply: Use the official FHPAP provider list and choose the provider serving your county or the county where you plan to move.

Reality check: Funds are limited and may not be available to every household. Ask whether the provider is taking requests, what costs it can cover, and what proof is needed.

Community Action agencies

Community Action agencies may offer energy help, weatherization, housing referrals, budgeting support, transportation help, or small emergency programs. Services differ by county and by current funding.

Use ASMOM’s Community Action guide or ask 211 which agency serves your address.

Shelter, Coordinated Entry, and homelessness help

If you are sleeping in a car, motel, shelter, unsafe doubled-up home, or another place not meant for housing, call 211 and explain where you are staying tonight. Ask for both emergency shelter and the local Coordinated Entry contact.

Coordinated Entry is a local intake and referral system for homelessness programs. It may assess your needs and connect you with programs, but it does not promise a shelter bed, voucher, or apartment.

The Minnesota Housing Trust Fund provides temporary rental help and housing-related costs for some High Priority Homeless households. The Housing Trust Fund page says referrals go through local Coordinated Entry. You usually do not apply to Minnesota Housing as a normal online grant.

If violence, stalking, trafficking, or sexual violence is part of the housing crisis, contact Day One rather than making many calls that could increase risk. ASMOM’s Minnesota safety guide lists more support paths.

Section 8, public housing, and affordable rentals

Housing Choice Vouchers, often called Section 8, help eligible households rent from private landlords. Public housing and project-based Section 8 tie assistance to certain buildings or units. Local public housing agencies run applications and waiting lists.

HUD does not process Minnesota affordable housing applications. Use HUD Minnesota resources and the official housing authority finder to contact the agency serving your area.

How to apply: Ask each housing authority whether its voucher, public housing, or project-based list is open. Follow the exact application instructions and save your confirmation number.

Keep your application active: Tell every housing authority when your address, phone number, email, income, or household size changes. Missing a letter or deadline can cause removal from a list.

HousingLink lets renters search Minnesota affordable rentals. Its current waitlist page tracks many Twin Cities housing authority lists. Openings change, so use the live page instead of relying on an old list.

While you wait, check ASMOM’s Minnesota food help and Minnesota child care pages. Lower food or care costs may help protect rent money.

Utility help can protect your housing

Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program helps eligible renters and homeowners with heating costs and some energy emergencies. However, the deadline for the 2025-2026 program year was May 31, 2026. The state says printable applications are expected to be available again in September 2026.

What to do now: Use the Energy Assistance page to find your local service provider. Ask about other current resources, payment plans, crisis help, and the next application period. Weatherization applications may still be available through local providers.

Reality check: Do not use the last season’s income limits or benefit amounts to predict the next season. Rules can change. Call your utility before a shutoff date and explain any pending assistance application.

ASMOM’s Minnesota utility guide covers more shutoff and bill-help options.

Eviction, repairs, deposits, and renter rights

Financial help and an eviction court case are separate problems. Even if you applied for rent help, read every notice and attend every required hearing.

HOME Line gives free, confidential legal advice to Minnesota renters. LawHelpMN has plain-language eviction information and can help you find legal aid. The Minnesota housing forms page has statewide forms for eviction, lockout, repairs, and eviction-record issues.

The Minnesota Attorney General’s renter rights handbook explains common landlord and tenant duties. It is general information, not a replacement for advice about your case.

If you believe a landlord, property manager, housing authority, or other housing provider treated you unfairly because of a protected trait, review the housing discrimination page. Contact legal aid if you are unsure about a deadline or the right place to report the problem.

ASMOM’s Minnesota legal guide lists more legal support.

Homebuyer and homeowner help

Minnesota Housing offers first-mortgage programs through participating lenders. Eligible borrowers may also have access to down payment and closing cost loans. Some options can reach up to $18,000, depending on the mortgage program and the borrower’s eligibility.

Where to start: Review the Minnesota buyer programs and speak with a participating lender. These down payment options are loans, not grants. Ask when repayment is due and what happens if you sell, move, refinance, or pay off the first mortgage.

If you already own a home and are behind, contact your mortgage servicer and the Homeownership Center early. Its advisor network offers free homebuyer and foreclosure prevention help.

ASMOM’s Minnesota homebuyer guide explains more down payment paths.

Documents to gather

Do not delay an urgent application only because one paper is missing. Submit what you have, explain what is missing, and ask for a written list of the remaining items.

Use ASMOM’s documents checklist to build a folder. Keep copies of every upload and write down the date, worker’s name, and next step after each call.

If help is denied, delayed, or closed

Ask for the reason in writing. Check whether the notice gives a deadline for an appeal, hearing, missing document, or review. Do not rely only on a phone message.

If a rent program has no funds, ask for the next provider, another countywide program, shelter prevention, a deposit program, a local charity, or a payment-plan referral. Use ASMOM’s denied benefits guide to organize records and questions.

For a housing authority denial, ask for the written rule and any review or hearing process. For an eviction or renter-rights problem, contact HOME Line or legal aid. For discrimination, contact the Minnesota Department of Human Rights or a lawyer.