Housing Assistance in Washington
Most single mothers are low-income earners and therefore they have a challenge when it comes to affording stable accommodation for their family. However, some organizations offer programs that can assist in ensuring that these families have a safe place to live. Some of these organizations are discussed in detail in this article.
Emergency Housing Assistance
El Centro De La Raza is a non-profit organization that assists with numerous housing emergencies. The organization is situated in the Latino community in the State of Washington. They work to build the community through uniting all racial and economic sectors, to empower, organize, and protect basic human rights of the most vulnerable members of the community, and to get critical consciousness, dignity, and justice for all the peoples. The organization delivers a variety of services to cater to the urgent needs of homelessness, hunger, and healthcare. https://www.elcentrodelaraza.org/
Low Income Housing Assistance
Metropolitan Development Council (MDC) has a program that provides low-income housing and rent assistance for single mom families. Other assistance programs offered consist of loans to pay rentals to avoid eviction, help with child care for homeless families, and loans for utilities. The MDC owns several housing units in four facilities for homeless and low-income families in Pierce County. There are a variety of housing units to choose from and they include shared housing, single-family homes, multi-family, and duplexes. https://mdc-hope.org/
Rent Assistance
The Attain Housing provides rental assistance to families with dependent children who are under the age of 18. They aim to bring the community together to assist homeless families by offering them affordable housing and equipping them with instrumental case management. https://www.attainhousing.org/
A non-profit organization known as Queen Anne Helpline offers emergency rent assistance to avoid eviction from apartments and homes. The Queen Anne Helpline provides eviction prevention, dignified clothing, healthy meals, and other supportive services. The organization assists the homelessness and through supportive and financial services. https://www.queenannehelpline.org/
The Solid Ground is an organization that offers one-time rental assistance. They provide a wide range of services including free eviction counseling, advice, and support on information on tenants’ rights and responsibilities. Solid Ground aims to eradicate poverty and oppressions that cause poverty. The organization assists those who have lost their home and need shelter, those who need support to stay in their current home by connecting them with information, referrals, and resources to support their housing stability. https://www.solid-ground.org/
Utility Bill (Heating, Water, Electricity, etc.) Assistance
The Change Inc. runs a community action agency that offers numerous services and programs to low-income earners such as single moms. The organization promotes the incorporation of services, the strengthening of partnerships, and the combining of resources to influence families to live a healthy, independent life. They offer emergency housing assistance, mortgage, and rent payment, as well as utility and heating bill assistance to residents. The organization runs the Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP) that gives heat emergencies to homes during the winter season. The ECIP is envisioned to tackle severely unsafe and malfunctioning heating systems for families that are not registered to get Weatherization Assistance Program services. For this program, only primary heating systems are eligible. The program works during the main part of the heating season. https://www.changeinc.org/
Eviction Prevention and Legal Assistance
King County Bar Association (KCBA) supports single mothers of King County by providing legal services to help with civil legal matters. They provide mediation as well as rental assistance support to residents. They assist by:
- Offering free legal advice or renters with eviction issues
- Assist with eviction paperwork
- For renters facing eviction, they negotiate with landlords
- Sharing resource and referral information
https://www.kcba.org/For-the-Public/Free-Legal-Assistance/Housing-Justice-Project
The Washington State Bar Association has helped with the development of the Home Foreclosure Legal Aid Project. The organization is composed of hundreds of volunteer lawyers and attorneys. The project has offered mortgage and foreclosure help to plenty of low-income families. They also help individuals who have faced a reduction in income or lost their jobs. The organization offers free, also known as pro bono legal services to homeowners faced with foreclosure. https://www.washingtonjustice.org/index.cfm?pg=facingforeclosure
Charities and Church Housing Assistance
The Plateau Outreach Ministries (POM) manages a program called the Samaritan Project. They have an emergency rental assistance program that is offered to certain parts of the county. The eviction help, and funds, are for low-income tenants in including single mothers who are in need. The organization is available to those who need to move out of a crisis, offering essentials, clothing, and vouchers for utilities, rent, and as well as individual case management to address each person’s needs. POM focuses on basic needs: housing, food, emergency financial assistance, clothing, and case management. They also have a winter shelter program that provides emergency shelter for those in need during the three coldest months of winter. The guests not only receive a place to sleep, but they receive both dinner and breakfast. https://www.plateauoutreach.org/
Homeless Shelter Help – Transitional Housing
The Lakewood Area Shelter Association (LASA) offers energy, rental, and food assistance. The organization is dedicated to preventing homelessness and chronic homelessness. The shelter offers a variety of programs. They have several housing units that are turn-key apartments. For a maximum of 30 days, each family will have a 2 bedroom apartment. The organization provides a case manager who assists the family in transitioning into permanent housing. All these services are provided to families free of charge, and this enables them to save for their future home. https://lasapierce.org/
The Rescue Mission runs a homeless facility known as the Tyler Square Transitional Housing for families and individuals facing eviction. They offer assistance in a variety of ways including help with education, case management, and budgeting for guests. The organization assists its residents in locating low-income apartments when they are well equipped and ready to move out of the facility. There provide referrals to grants and loans for the first month’s rental payment for those leaving the shelter. They assist with emergency services such as shelter and food to the homeless; offer programs to help an individual to break free from poverty. https://www.trm.org/housing/
Homeowner/Buyer Grants and Assistance
The Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) develops housing to benefit low-income, homeless people. They advocate for housing policies at both local and national levels. The LIHI offers numerous support services to assist residents to maintain their housing and develop independence. The efforts incorporate providing residents with life skills training, financial literacy training, technology access and training, and savings programs, and children’s programs. https://lihi.org/
Home Improvement Grants
The SNAP (Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners) assists low-income homeowners who do not have the resources to repair or sustain their homes. Affordable housing frequently has dangerous or unhealthy defects. The organization has numerous types of Home Repair Programs available to make repairs, or offer admission to loans, for objects in the home that cause health or safety hazards such as no water, no heat, and plumbing issues. This organization is both the local and regional advocate for vulnerable individuals within their community. https://www.snapwa.org/
