Rent Assistance

move.

Rent is high everywhere in Cook County. Especially northeast side.
I have found that if you find a two or three flat, that has been a family building - meaning the family lives there and the extended family lives/lived there - the building is usually paid for and they are more willing to negotiate a rent you can afford. Because, they want to find consistent and good tenants who will appreciate the building and be good, quiet neighbors.

I keep wondering why I had to work two jobs at the same time to raise alone for awhile two kids, have to still work after I had cancer and wonder why other people think they are better than the rest of us and should have it easy. Do you have a reason why you cannot go to school and get a higher paying job, or get a second job, or move from where you live to a cheaper town (I know where you live isn't inexpensive, it is very nice). Do you have handicapped children or a handicap yourself that prevents you from working hard. Or an aversion to living in a neighborhood like I do where it is cheaper because that is what I could afford? If you are losing your job and it is a surprise I understand the need for temporary assistance. If you just do not want to work two jobs, then go to school and find something in your life that will help you make a better income. I am saddened to think that there are a lot of hard working people on this earth who do whatever it takes and then there are others who just think its unfair that they have to do that in order to live a better life. Perhaps you should learn to budget or live on used clothing like I have done so my children could have things. Or shop sales. I don't know but this made me sad.

You have a couple of avenues available to you. However, you must still qualify on the basis of your income. Your income will be adjusted for any children you have, average medical costs, etc. You might just make too much money or have a higher standard for apartments than you can readily afford, which doesn't automatically qualify you for assistance.

There are two basic types of rental subsidy--project based and voucher/certificate. With a voucher or certificate, you must find your own apartment (ie a landlord willing to accept the voucher or certificate). The housing authority pays the landlord directly, so it's a pretty good deal for them--much more reliable than some tenants. The v/c will be worth a certain amount, and if your apartment is more, you have to pay the difference. If it's less, you don't get to keep the difference. Project based subsidy means that the unit itself is subsidized. If you leave the unit, you lose the subsidy. In project based, you are either placed by the housing authority, or you apply to the building directly yourself. Project based can mean public housing, or it can mean a privately owned building that has a subsidy contract with state or county housing authority.

As far as how to get it: again, there are 2 basic ways. Every county has it's own housing authority, so yours would be Cook County Housing Authority. Unless you're willing to move into Chicago, which has its own housing authority. You can apply directly through them for either program and they can tell you what their waiting lists are for apartments or v/c. Your second option is to contact HUD for their list of privately owned buildings that contain subisdy. These are not public housing, so you have to apply to each building indivually. LaShun Perry at HUD keeps that list, and he can mail it to you. His number is ###-###-####

If you or anyone in your household is on drugs or has a criminal record, you can be denied in the privately owned buildings. You might still be able to get public housing, but they've tightened their rules as well. There's usually a grace period--like if it wasn't a violent crime and it's been 5 years, then you might still be able to get an apartment.

Another caveat is that if you don't have children, aren't elderly or disabled, there can be a limit to how long you can receive the rental subsidy assistance as well. For example, they might give you a two year voucher. The project based assistance is much harder to take away.

Hope that helped. Good luck to you.

I lived in Section 8 housing 20 years ago before I got married. When I applied it was all done thru the management company that owned my apartment.

For more information you can check out the HUD website
http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/topics/renta...

Call ###-###-#### and they will provide direction.

Well, basically in California, there is no more section 8. The waiting lists have been closed indefinitely. The waiting list is so long that they are just now getting to people who applied in 2005.
There are a few rental apartments but that waiting list is 2+ years.
It's not available in my area, but there are parts of the country where you can dial 211 to get information about referrals and programs. You can also contact your local United Way office.
You may be able to get a little help with back rent, you may be able to get help with moving to a less expensive place.
You can check to see if there are funds available in your county under ARRA, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It's basically stimulus money. But it depends on qualifying and if your county has the funds.
It's to help people from becoming homeless and if you have a job, that helps. But, you can't earn more than a certain amount, etc.

Google ARRA rental assistance for your county.

As we know, there are many programs being cut because of the national deficit. In California, Arnold wants to chop everything. I don't know how he expects people to survive, but then again, I don't think he's too worried about it. California is a huge, huge mess and there is less and less for those who work to struggle and survive, not to mention the jobless. Sorry for the rant.
But try your local United Way office.

Best wishes.

Can you offer to babysit friend's kids in the evening and weekends, or whenever it is you're home with your own? This helped my husband and I immensely when we were younger and broke.

Hello April

My name is M. and if you send me (via private) your email I can foward you an email I received a few days ago about the Chicago Housing Authority's process.

Here is their Web site:

http://www.chawaitlist.org/

Hope this will help you and someone else

M.