Housing Assistance for Single Mothers in Mississippi

Where to start

The ASMOM Community Action guide explains what these local agencies do and what to ask when funds are limited.

What has changed

On September 24, 2026, Mississippi Home Corporation reported HUD approval of its 2026 Annual Action Plan. This plan covers state housing funds such as HOME, the Housing Trust Fund, Emergency Solutions Grants, and housing services for people with HIV/AIDS. It is a funding plan, not a new rent-help application for families. For urgent help, use the local steps below and confirm that money or a shelter opening is available before you travel.

Quick reference

Emergency rent and mortgage help

The Mississippi Department of Human Services works with local Community Action Agencies through its Community Services Division. These agencies run the Community Services Block Grant, LIHEAP, and weatherization programs in different service areas.

The current Mississippi CSBG page says local partners may offer rental or mortgage assistance, along with employment, education, nutrition, health, and emergency services. The exact service is based on local needs and available funds, so rent help may not be open in every county at the same time.

To start, use the Access MS portal and select Community Services. The pre-application goes to your local Community Action Agency. Watch for an email or mailed appointment notice. MDHS says families with a child age 5 or younger, an older person, or a disabled person should expect an appointment within 30 business days; other households should expect one within 45 days. These are appointment targets, not deadlines for a payment.

At the appointment, staff check income, address, household members, and other papers. Go even if you cannot find every document yet; ask what you can send later. A CSBG referral does not ensure rent help is funded in your county.

MDHS lists a CSBG income test of 125% of the federal poverty guideline. It also posts the figures below on its CSBG page. These are the MDHS-posted amounts; do not treat them as a final decision about your 2026 eligibility. Federal 2026 poverty guidelines are higher than the ones used in that posted table. Ask your county agency which income schedule it is using and how it counts your household.

Do not pay a company to file a CSBG application. If you cannot apply online, contact the MDHS Community Services Division at 1-800-421-0762 or ask your local agency for another way to start. Tell them about any deadline for rent, mortgage, or a utility shutoff.

The ASMOM Mississippi help guide covers other benefits that may free up money for housing.

Section 8 and public housing

Housing Choice Vouchers, often called Section 8, help eligible households rent from private landlords that accept the program and pass inspection. Public housing is different because a housing authority owns or manages the property.

HUD does not run one Mississippi waiting list. Use the official housing authority finder to locate agencies serving the places where you can live. Each housing authority decides when to open or close its lists and may use local preferences.

Ask each agency about Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, project-based vouchers, family properties, and any special lists. A project-based unit stays with a property; a regular voucher may be used at an approved private rental. Apply to several open lists when allowed. Keep your confirmation number, login details in a safe place, and copies of your forms.

After applying, update every housing authority if your address, phone number, email, household members, or income changes. Missing one letter can cause your name to be removed.

The ASMOM Section 8 guide explains applications, waiting lists, inspections, and common delays.

Affordable apartments beyond vouchers

Do not wait only for a voucher. Mississippi also has public housing, project-based Section 8, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit apartments, USDA rural rentals, and nonprofit housing. These properties use different income, rent, and waiting-list rules.

Call properties directly. Ask whether the list is open, whether there are application fees, whether utilities are included, whether they accept vouchers, and how often you must update your application.

Housing for special needs

The Mississippi Home Corporation manages housing funds through local partners. Its specialized housing page describes Emergency Solutions Grant services, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS, HOME-ARP help, and the CHOICE program. These are not simple statewide cash applications for every renter.

The CHOICE program page says the program provides rental help for people with serious mental illness through a partnership with Mississippi Community Mental Health Centers and state agencies. Priority rules apply, and some participants may also receive help with deposits or arrears.

If this may fit your household, ask your Community Mental Health Center how CHOICE referrals work. The MHC CHOICE page links to a referral form. If you cannot use that form, MHC lists 228-604-2048 for help. Do not assume a diagnosis guarantees aid. Ask which program priority rules apply.

If a child or adult in your family has a disability, ask the housing office about accessible units and how to request an accommodation. Also ask whether any local referral rules or housing preferences fit your household. Disability alone does not mean CHOICE rental help is guaranteed.

Utility help, weatherization, and repairs

Keeping power and home heating or cooling on can protect your home. Mississippi’s LIHEAP program may help eligible households with energy costs. Its crisis option is called the Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP). The program serves all 82 counties when funds are available. Homes with an older adult, a disabled person, or a child age 5 or younger receive higher priority. LIHEAP is not a general water-bill program. Ask 211 or the water provider for other water assistance.

Apply through Access MS by selecting Community Services. MDHS says households in its priority groups should expect an appointment within 30 business days; for other households the page says 45 days. These are not promises of aid or that a shutoff will stop. If you have a shutoff notice, call the power or gas company now about a payment plan and ask the local agency if crisis funds are available.

The weatherization program may help eligible renters or owners lower energy bills through approved work such as insulation or heating-system repairs. MDHS lists a 200% poverty guideline for this program. The state page now shows 2026 amounts, unlike the CSBG table above. Renters can ask whether landlord approval is needed.

Very-low-income rural homeowners can also check the USDA repair program. Loans can help eligible homeowners repair or improve a home. Grants are limited to homeowners age 62 or older who need to remove health and safety hazards.

The ASMOM Mississippi utility guide lists more ways to ask for shutoff and energy help.

Eviction, discrimination, and safety help

For help with eviction or other civil housing problems, call North Mississippi Rural Legal Services at 1-800-898-8731 if you live in its northern service area. For central and southern Mississippi, contact the Mississippi Center for Legal Services at 1-800-519-2915. Ask which office serves your county. Free help depends on income, case type, and staff capacity. If an online form is closed, call; do not wait for it to reopen.

The Mississippi housing law team lists an eviction hotline at 228-702-9983 and a fair housing hotline at 877-352-2269, option 5. Its direct eviction representation may be limited by county and case facts, but the hotline helps callers statewide. Ask about any notice, payment or move-out date, and how a pending rent-aid application affects your case.

State rules may give tenants rights after an eviction hearing or a chance to pay rent before a court-ordered move-out in some nonpayment cases. Those rules depend on the order and facts. The eviction prevention guide explains these issues, but get case-specific legal advice as soon as possible. A rent application does not cancel a court date.

Housing discrimination may include unfair treatment because you have children, a disability, or another protected trait. If you think a landlord, lender, housing authority, or manager broke fair housing rules, save proof and use the HUD complaint process soon because filing deadlines apply. HUD also accepts reports at 1-800-669-9777. Ask legal aid for advice on your facts.

Survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking may have protections in HUD-covered housing. The HUD VAWA page explains notices, forms, and emergency transfer rules for covered programs.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence can connect you with local help at 1-800-898-3234. Use the Mississippi shelter directory to find certified programs by area. If someone may watch your device, use a safer phone or computer.

Tell a trained advocate if you need a private way to talk, help with children, or a housing transfer. Do not send safety plans or personal documents to a landlord or agency through an account that someone else may read. This is general information, not a safety plan or legal advice.

Documents to gather

You can make the first call before every paper is ready. Still, a simple folder can prevent delays. Keep copies and send private records only through a trusted agency’s secure method.

Check each appointment notice for more papers, such as proof of residency, Social Security numbers, benefit letters, or a written statement when you have no income. Ask what other proof is accepted if you cannot get a listed document. Save copies, dates, and case numbers.