Note, if you are looking for information about mortgages and not housing assistance, your best bet is to read our mortgage guide for moms.

No matter which programs or agencies you choose to turn to for help, there are a few important things that will help you stand out from the crowd and become more likely to receive the help you seek:

• Paperwork
• Budget
• Plans
• Focus

Paperwork

Keep a file folder (or several) with important information organized, such as birth certificates for you and your children, social security number, work history and resume, past addresses for 5 or more years, etc. If you’ve owned a home in the past, include information like the mortgage company you made payments to, a record of payments, and the date of sale.  If you’ve rented, include similar data. Having information like this on hand makes a good impression and tells people that you pay attention to the business of maintaining and keeping a home. Much of this information can be generated from the source itself, without your having to piece it together from bank statements or cancelled checks—just get in touch with the companies or rental agencies you did business with and request a copy of your account history.

If you’ve never been involved in this activity (for instance, if an ex-husband or boyfriend always handled these matters), or if you do not have an exemplary record in this regard, be truthful. Gather as much information as you can, and try to account for missing dates. If you can do so sincerely, try to explain in writing why you had a problem in the past, and what has changed in your life that makes you think you will be more successful in the future.

Budget

Showing an agency or government organization that you have a handle on your finances (even if they’re strained) will go a long way toward strengthening your case and chances for success.  Create a budget (it doesn’t have to be fancy, computerized, or anything else—simple income and outflow will do) and stick to it. It’s much better to deal realistically with what your needs are than to fudge numbers and find in the future that you can’t make it work.

Plans

If you feel like your budget is too tight, or won’t work at all, what are your plans for improving your situation? Are you thinking about extra education or training to get a better job?  Do you feel that if you can obtain housing for a certain cost, your budget situation will improve? Write out how you are planning your future so you can respond to any program or agency requests that probe how you expect to maintain your family on a given income. You might find that ancillary programs can help, if staff are made aware of how you intend to proceed (grants for education or childcare might be available from the same agencies you’re contacting for housing assistance).

Focus

Wherever possible, eliminate distractions from your quest for affordable housing. If you’re having problems that seem to keep drawing you away from your primary goals, do whatever you can to rid yourself of them.  Substance abuse, unpaid bills, ex-husbands or boyfriends who are problematic—any of these things can derail your efforts simply because they are taking energy away from the important task of finding or keeping quality, safe housing for yourself and your children.

In addition, they can sabotage your efforts by becoming known to agencies or organizations that were prepared to work with you.  A typical example is major credit card debt—if you don’t disclose it to an agency considering you as a client, it’s possible they will begin to question other information you supplied. It’s better to confront these issues and have an explanation of how you’re dealing with them, in case they should come up during routine interviews or questionnaires.  And again, as with  making your plans for the future known, the agency you’re consulting may have other coordinating resources right at their fingertips that can help.

Keep It Simple

Many people believe they have to present an almost accountant-like record of their financial history to succeed in an application to a government agency or other housing organization. This is not true—the simpler the information, the more effective it is–as long as it’s honest.  A neat hand-written budget sheet, a one or two-page letter of introduction outlining your needs and plans, and a pleasant, helpful attitude will score all the “points” you need to  present yourself in the best light for the type of assistance you seek.  Oftentimes it might seem as if the information you compiled is not relevant, such as when you fill out an application online or otherwise never seem to reach a real person. However, the preparation itself will help you focus on your goal and complete these applications with less stress. And there’s always a chance that a face-to-face meeting will occur.  In fact, you should always attempt to see a program representative in person so that you have a chance to make a good impression.

So take a look at the links below, choose some that look promising, and get started on your hunt for assistance in finding housing!

Don’t Underestimate Local Resources

In addition to the national or federally-sponsored programs given below, there are very likely many organizations and programs unique to your state, region or city. Don’t underestimate these “small” programs—just like scholarship opportunities, they are often under-used because people don’t know about them.

One good way to find out what’s available is to read your local paper. Sometimes programs are even broken down by neighborhood, so check out the free local newspaper also (usually available in grocery stores or convenience stores in your neighborhood).

Search thoroughly for articles, ads or announcements that relate to housing, and note the organization named. Then contact them and ask if there is a rental component to their programs. If not, ask if they know of any local programs that help with housing for single mothers. Neighborhood activists are usually a tight bunch, and are well aware of anybody working to improve the city’s housing options.

Another way to find out about local programs is to attend neighborhood meetings. If programs are available and seeking more visibility, they are sure to send a representative to these gatherings to make an announcement. People who regularly attend will be aware of such programs, as well, so don’t be shy—ask the person who runs the meeting if they are aware of any rental assistance programs in the area.

Links to housing resources for single mothers:

The resource descriptions and links below are grouped roughly into these categories:

• Well-known, long established federal programs
• Faith based (with a religious component, although all serve any client)
• Other programs

What they all have in common is that they are organized at a national level (although not all have an equal presence in every state), and that at least part of their focus is helping people find housing on either a permanent or emergency basis, or both. Many offer related services as well, such as life skills, education and training, child-care, nutrition programs, clothing, and so on.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
The housing choice voucher program (more commonly known as Section 8 housing) is the major federal government program for helping low-income families afford decent private market housing. The big advantage of this program is that participants are allowed to find their own housing of any type (such as single-family, townhouse or apartment), as long as the landlord or managing agency is willing to participate in the program, and the property meets program requirements.

To find more information about the voucher program (Section 8), see the link below.

HUD – Housing Choice Vouchers Fact Sheet

HUD programs are administered locally by Public Housing Agencies (in other words, you’ll deal with the PHA, not HUD, in your own city or locality). The Information by State link below will get you closer to the actual office you’ll need to contact to inquire about this type of assistance in your area.
• Local HUD Information by State
• Homeownership Vouchers

An overview of assistance available from HUD can be found at this link, the “Renter’s Kit”:

“Renter’s Kit”

USDA – Rural Development / Housing & Community Facilities Programs (HCFP)

The Housing and Community Facilities Programs offers housing assistance to rural Americans, both homeowners and renters. Their programs include Single-Family Housing (for people who want to buy or need to improve a rural home), Multi-Family Housing (grants to property owners who intend to rent or improve rental property), and Community Facilities (such as child-care centers).

To find a Service Center in your area (by State), follow this link:

http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app

If you just want to explore this agency and its housing programs, click here:

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/LP_Subject_HousingAndCommunityAssistance.html

Housing Finance Agencies

Housing Finance Agencies offer a wide range of support and assistance to families in search of affordable housing. The following link allows you to choose your state and zero in on the website of the agency closest to you:

http://www.ncsha.org/housing-help

Bridge of Hope

Bridge of Hope is a faith-based effort that brings together professional staff and trained church-based mentoring groups to empower homeless and at-risk single mothers to attain permanent housing, financial self-sufficiency, friendship and growth.  If you are in this category, find out if there is a group near you at:

http://www.bridgeofhopeinc.org/template/page.cfm?id=96

If not (there are currently only 9 states listed), and you are committed to finding help through your church, contact the national organization about starting the program in your area:

Bridge of Hope National

311 National Road, Exton, PA 19341
Phone: 1-610-280-0280 Toll-free: 1-866-670-HOPE

Fax: 1-610-280-3280
http://www.bridgeofhopeinc.org/template/index.cfm

Salvation Army USA

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

To find the chapter nearest to you, enter your zip code in the Locations heading at the top of the page found here:

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf

Catholic Charities USA

Catholic Charities agencies serve people of all faiths. They provide a wide range of services, including services for single moms and children: housing, emergency services, health care, child care, adoption, counseling, financial assistance, food pantries, and other critical services.

http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/NetCommunity/
Some Charities have their own websites:
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice – FL
Catholic Charities Oklahoma
Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, NC
Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, NC
Catholic Charities of Los Angeles – CA
Catholic Charities Health and Human Services – OH
Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Denver – CO, from the left side drop down menu select services

2-1-1 Connecting People in Need with Community Services

2-1-1 is a community services help line. If you have an immediate housing problem, or simply don’t know where to turn for help with childcare, expenses, addiction, aging parents…this is the place to call. Services are provided by United Way Worldwide and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems (AIRS).

http://www.211us.org

The Nurturing Network (TNN)

The Nurturing Network is an international charitable organization that responds to the immediate and comprehensive needs of a woman facing the crisis of an unplanned pregnancy. This is a pro-life organization dedicated to seeing a woman through all aspects of this difficult time.
Need Help? www.nurturingnetwork.org/needhelp.html
Phone 1-800-TNN-4MOM

CoAbode—Single Mothers House Sharing

This matchmaking service offers single mothers the opportunity to find housemates who will pool resources to cut the cost of housing, food, supplies and childcare.

http://www.coadobe.org

Single parents who have not earned a college degree will have difficulty finding jobs that pay adequately. Lack of a college education is the primary reason of their low paying income. In such a scenario, looking for a secondary income to raise their kids becomes mandatory. In this context, work at home job opportunities have become a blessing. They help single parents, especially single mothers, in augmenting their income. Some work from home jobs may even replace the source of full-time income if they become profitable enough.

When all is said and done, you need to know how to be realistic in finding work from home options. This is because there are numerous scams and fraudulent cases of people getting caught in situations where they have done the work but do not get paid. This is a sad fact that happens each and every day.

Work from home opportunities can be quite appealing. Every single mother wants to work from home so that she is able to spend much more time caring for her children. Also, this gives single mothers much more time to take care of their household responsibilities and save money on child care. But, as a single mother or single father, you need to be careful of coming across fake websites that promise great work and earning potential. In this case, remember the popular saying, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Work from home opportunities—what should I expect?

Educational qualifications

It’s usually true that a formal education degree can brighten your prospects of getting better paying jobs. But, do these qualifications also matter when considering work from home opportunities? They do if you consider better paying jobs with particular skill sets.

Many such opportunities available include medical transcription, legal transcription, online data entry jobs, content writing, editing, and proofreading services that can be pursued by working from home. These job opportunities require particular skill sets and therefore can be considered by single parents who have a formal degree.

Job expectations

There are work from home jobs for people without even a basic formal education. You need to know your interests before applying for work from home opportunities. Don’t try a work from home opportunity just because it pays well. If you choose your jobs this way, you are unlikely to stick with it for very long.

Some of the types of jobs that do not need formal education may include filling envelopes, filling out forms, and other basic work that is done online. A college degree is not essential for this purpose and a high school diploma will suffice.

While considering work from home jobs, a single parent should consider some job ready skills. Don’t agree to do an unpaid training period. As with any other job you should be paid when you start working- even when you are being trained.

You need to know that you can simply not switch on the computer and expect the money to pour in. Results will be achieved if you are quite willing to work, just as it is with any other business. It will take time for the work from home options to work really well.

There are many single mothers who need to raise their children and companies these days are willing to provide flexibility to women provided they live up to their potential of working well. There are many work from home sales jobs. These are typical telemarketing jobs: you need to convince clients over the phone to buy products for their company. Alternately, you may also consider the following career options that have tremendous growth potential and people do actually make a good income from these work from home options.

Many women and men may be gifted with great language skills. These single parents can opt for the following options:

Web article writer

You could consider writing articles for various blogs and websites. If you are bi-lingual you may be able to find a lot of companies who require your expertise.

If you are looking for some specific recommendations, here are a couple

RealWritingJobs.com — this is a place that will set you up with online writing work. Very useful in that a job is set up for you so very little groundwork on your part needed

Freelancer.com — probably the “biggest” website in the world for finding freelance work such as writing articles for websites. You have to line up your own job by bidding on projects, however.

Craiglist.com — free to use, but it can be difficult to find long term work. There are no protection schemes like in the two suggestions above so it’s much harder to ensure you don’t get ripped off by people taking your work and running without paying you for it.

Internet marketing skills

Internet marketing involves the process of selling products online through websites. You could sell your own products, or those of a company. You can even sell information products.

Data entry

Data entry is when you are paid a fee to enter information into a document or form.  There are some companies out there that offer jobs like paid surveys. Truth be told, you don’t get paid a lot, but it is work and if you have spare time and need something extra, it’s worth looking into.

Web developer

If you are a web developer, your job would be developing content for the Web sites of companies. You would probably need to have a degree in computer science to be successful.

Your options are not limited here. There are so many different freelancing jobs that you can do at home. Freelancing job sites are available if you have a specialized skill. You bid on projects that interest you and come to an agreement with an employer on what your pay will be. It takes time to establish yourself as a freelancer, but once you have done so, you can be quite successful. To line up work, we suggest using Freelancer.com since this website makes it easy to find clients looking for work and offers protection schemes to ensure you get paid for the work you do.

When to work

One of the benefits of being a work from home parent is that you can work when you choose to. Some parents work when their children are asleep during the day and at night when they are young. Remember, if you are a stay at home parent you may not need to work as much because you will be saving a lot of money by not having to put our children in daycare. When children are school-aged, stay at home parents can work during the school day and stop working when children are home from school.

If you are a parent looking to make money working from home, search the internet for opportunities that interest you. However, be cautious about paying for job opportunities. Also, don’t expect to make a lot of money without putting forth much effort. These kinds of claims may turn out to be untrue.

Other work options

There are many other options for work beside work at home ones. You might network with friends and family to find out if they know of any work opportunities. You should also be diligent about checking job forums, and your local newspaper.

If you want more information about career opportunities for single parents, take a look at our jobs for single parents section.

The worst possible scenario is finding yourself in a position where you have no job and no help and are being forced to try and raise your child effectively blind. But you must never give in because there are people working long hours every single day to get you the assistance you need. All you need to do is ask.

There are different kinds of assistance available. For example, you might need help with any number of the following:

• Cash Assistance
• Spiritual Assistance
• Rent Assistance
• Emotional Assistance
• School Assistance

There are many private organizations working to provide you with many programs that will ease your stress and worry by providing invaluable support. These organizations will also help you with applications for grants, loans and scholarships if you are thinking of furthering your education. These packages will put money in your hands to help you get things done and improve your life. It is important to remember that the only way you will qualify for these programs is if you are within a certain low income bracket.

The Federal Government also offers a wide variety of assistance for single mothers including, but not limited to, the welfare program which will help you with basic needs, scholarships and grants, and even low cost housing. There are over 900 programs available and they all can be found on the government websites. There are private websites that will charge a fee to disclose information to you. You should avoid these as all this information is freely available and no private company will have more information about government programs than the official websites themselves.

There are also certain programs that offer funding for single mothers to start up small businesses, including training and help with planning. Therefore if you feel you are up to taking on a new challenge, especially since you can base your business at home, then this might be the ideal option for you. Remember, though, that the majority of these programs come as loans, but generally with better afferent costs. Still, the independence a small business will offer you and your child is invaluable and worth a little difficulty in the beginning.

However, regardless of the assistance available to single mothers, the point is that unless you put the work in, you will not get anywhere. You need to search every single day and call in favors off of anyone that can help you out. Keeping this up will mean that sooner or later, something will come of it, and since pride comes before a fall, you shouldn’t let it stand in your way to guaranteeing a good life for your family.

Remember that cash assistance for single mothers is possible. You can pursue some type of loan program, look into getting grants, seek out scholarship, hunt down some welfare programs, or even visit local single mother shelters that offer tangible aid for moms in need.

Use these programs effectively and you may soon find that you have little to worry about. The secret is persistence, and you will have put the effort in and long hours of searching and filling out applications, even if some programs reject you, then you must try others. Don’t be discouraged after one rejection; try again as there will be the perfect program out there to suit your needs.

Ok, let’s talk about SOME of the options you can pursue if you need some cash assistance.

Loans as Cash Assistance

The easiest way to get some cash is to take out a loan. This could a personal loan from the bank, utilizing your bank overdraft for some extra money, taking out a payday loan, or even dipping into your credit card. Loans should ALWAYS be the last resource you look at. Please moms, before you consider taking out any sort of loan, remember that you are going to have to repay said loan and repay it with MORE money (called interest). Because of this, SingleMotherAssistance.net does not recommend single moms looking for emergency money seek out any sort of loan.

Note that loans are connected to your credit score. If you have bad credit, you won’t be able to get a loan (except a payday loan) or if you do manage to qualify, somehow, you are going to pay skyhigh interest. So please moms, don’t go applying for loans if your credit score is bad. And certainly, don’t go getting loans if your credit score is bad and your income situation is unstable. You should also find out what your credit score is, if you intent to get a loan of some sort in the future. You can get check your credit score for free online or simply write to the major credit agencies (there are three of them), and request your report — by the Fair Credit Act, you are entitled to a free report each year.

If you absolutely need some quick cash and you can be sure you can repay what you borrow QUICKLY, you can look at a payday loan. These loans have some of the highest fees on the market though and if you don’t repay them quickly, you can land yourself in an even worse financial situation than you start with. Payday loans should only ever be used for absolute emergencies (medical, dental, etc). Don’t take out a payday loan to buy that new Sony Playstation for your kid’s Christmas present! A better (cheaper) option would be to see if you can get a personal line of credit from your bank. This requires good credit on your part, but the interest rates are lower.

Nevertheless, here is a quick breakdown of the type of loans out there and some links to some recommended lenders:

Payday Loans

These are small cash loans (under $2000) that are ridiculously easy to qualify for. There is no credit check, so nearly anyone (within reason) can qualify. This also makes them very dangerous loans, especially if you have no reliable income or are already in a financial hole. SingleMotherAssistance.net strongly advises that you don’t take out one of these loans unless it’s an absolute emergency AND you can repay the loan within a couple weeks. Payday loans have some of the highest interest rates out there and you can easily get into a situation of owing MORE interest than the principal amount after a couple missed payments.  If you need a payday loan, then one reputable online payday lender is 60 Minute Payday.

Personal Loans

These are loans of varying amounts. The typical way to get a personal loan is to approach your bank. Personal loans can be used to fix up your house, buy a car, or meet some financial need that you need a large sum of money for. You can get these loans from your bank. Typically, you’ll have to pass a credit check to qualify for an unsecured personal loan. One recommended online personal loan lender is Lending Club.

Student Loans

If you want to go back to college and you can’t foot the bill yourself (common these days), your best option is a federal student loan. The nice thing about these is they are student friendly — you typically don’t have to start repaying them until you finish your schooling. And often, you are given a grace period before having to make your first payment. Of course, this depends on the type of student loan you get. The main federal student loan is the Perkins student loan and the Stafford student loan. Go here for more info.

If you need more money (and it’s possible federal student loans won’t provide you with enough money to pay for school), you can pursue private student loans. Look at privatestudentloans.com to match yourself up with a private student loan lender.

Mortgage Loans

A loan given out by the bank to help fund your home purchase. You can see our whole mortgage assistance section for more info about these type of loans. In terms of mortgage loans for financial assistance, there are a type of loan. These are called reverse mortgages and are basically a loan where you take a loan out against the equity of your home. If you have a home and equity (and these days, after the housing crash, most of you likely Won’t), you can take out money on your home to fund other purchases. While you can do so, we don’t recommend it as if the equity drops, you are in serious trouble. If you want to get a mortgage, consider the FHA home loan — one of the easier to qualify for mortgage loans these days. You can check with LendingTree.com to see if you qualify for the FHA.

Business Loans

Loans that you can start a business with. For the average single mom looking for some cash assistance, these loans are not applicable to your situation. If you need cash assistance for a business start up though, you might look into these kind of loans. You can read more about them here.

Verdict: Avoid loans for cash assistance unless you can pay them back quickly

Grants for Moms as Cash Assistance

First off, let me  get this out of the way. If you’ve been reading about “grants for single moms”, “Obama grants for moms” or any sort of special financial assistance grant given to needy people, you’ve been reading non-sense information. I’m going to be straight with you: the US government is not going to hand you a wad of cash to bail you out of your financial problems, especially with the whole financial problems the entire US is experiencing. Sorry, there is not enough money for that right now. That’s not to say there are NOT programs backed by the federal government where you can’t get some money, but these programs are very specific.

In general, government grants (especially those found on places like grants.gov) are only given out to organizations that are involved with something like education, public welfare, or science. You as an individual won’t qualify, sorry.

The government does make available grant money for individuals in one specific circumstance: school. You can qualify for these grants (the biggest being the Pell Grant which can run up to a few thousand dollars every school semester), but you must be

1. Attending an accredited school (college or university)

2. Be an American Citizen

3. Have Financial Need

4. Fill out the FAFSA application (financial aid form that gives you access to federal student loans and federal financial aid programs).

Getting grants for education like the Pell grant will take time — you need to go through the application process.

Verdict: If you are a single mom that doesn’t go to school, then government grants are not a solution for emergency cash!

Private Grants for Assistance

There are SOME programs that you can find that will offer private grants. Again, most private grants (i.e. non government grants) are given for things like education or business. Most organizations are not going to toss you a few thousand dollars just because you are needy — it doesn’t work that way. So what are private grants? Well, you may find Corporations offer charity organizations that may hand out money. Or if you are an employee of some large corporation, you may find there are daycare grants or scholarship grants given out for employees to attend school.

Verdict: Unless you are seeking education assistance, private grants are not a likely source of cash for moms

Web Giveaway Sweepstakes

There are quite a few websites online that offer giveaways of some sort. These websites offer giveaways to either promote themselves in some way or are paid to by companies looking to advertise. Most of these giveaways function as sweepstakes. Some websites will even give you something free for signing up.

These are too numerous to really list them all, but I’ll list a few programs that relate to moms:

• Fill out the form to apply for the 10k Scholarships for Working Adults
• Sign up for a free Familyplanning.com membership and get grocery coupons and access to free baby samples
• Complete a brief survey out for a chance to win a $3500 shopping spree
• Fill out a survey and get a chance to win a $1500 gas card
• Win a $3500 dollar nursery makeover for you baby by filling out a survey
• Get a Free $250 Gift Card to your Favorite Baby Store
• Get ready for school with $1,500 shopping spree — short survey
• Do You Have a CuteKid? Submit photo for a chance to win 25k if you’re kid is the cutest!
• And here’s one where you fill out survey and get a ton of grocery coupons for online savings

Verdict: Worth filling out for the chance of winning some money or getting some free stuff for signing up

State Assistance

The federal government is usually not the best source for financial assistance. It’s true that there are a few federal programs like the HUD and housing choice voucher programs that do offer some assistance, but from what we’ve found, most of the assistance programs that single mothers can easily apply for are offered at the state level. We call these state assistance programs.

We’ve spent a good deal of time compiling a state by state list of the state assistance programs (if any) that might be of interest to single parents.

Verdict: State assistance programs are a single mom’s best bet for getting REAL financial help from the government

Charity/Non-Profit/Religious Organization Assistance

Another great resource for assistance comes from non-profit organizations. The assistance offered is usually not financial, but often material. You may be able to get free food, clothing, emotional counsel, job training/help and even a place to stay as a single parent in need. We suggest you look at our resources for single mothers section for a huge list of links and phone numbers to organizations that CAN offer you some direct assistance of some sort.

Verdict: Non-Profit Organizations are one of the best ways for single mothers to get some direct assistance in the form of shelter, food, clothing, emotional support, and career advice.

Need More Information About Financial Assistance? We’ve written extensively about financial assistance for single parents elsewhere:

• If you are looking for a list of money resources, we suggest you read our money for single mothers post.
• For a list of general resources (including money resources), you should also check out our Single Mother Resources section with a list of direct links to financial assistance programs
• Be sure and check out our Financial Help Section and our Financial Assistance Post
• Look at our State Assistance for Moms section
• If you are Canadian, then read our Canadian Assistance section.

This video below gives one example of many of the legit single mom organizations out there that can lend that helping hand. Not all organizations will give out loans, grants, or scholarships to moms — but there are many other resources that they can share like education, counseling, and strategic guidance.