Emergency Housing Assistance: Help When You Are About to Lose Your Home

What emergency housing assistance covers today

"Emergency housing assistance" is not one program. It is a set of tools that solve different problems: money to stay where you are, a short place to stay while you look, legal help to slow or stop an eviction, and a faster path into long-term subsidized housing. Which one fits depends on whether you still have keys, how much you owe, and how much time you have.

The landscape changed after the pandemic. The U.S. Treasury says the period of performance for its second Emergency Rental Assistance award (ERA2) ended on September 30, 2025, and grantees may no longer use those funds to help renters. Many state and city "rent relief" portals that ran on that money have closed. Some states and cities kept smaller programs going with their own funds, which is why a local search matters.

Matching help to your situation

Homelessness prevention through ESG

The steadiest federal source of emergency rent money is the homelessness prevention part of HUD's Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG). Cities, counties, and states receive ESG money and pass it to local nonprofits, which take applications. The federal rules set the outer limits; local programs often pay less.

Under the ESG definitions, you count as "at risk of homelessness" if your household income is below 30 percent of the area's median family income, you have no other resources or support network to stay housed, and you meet one of several conditions. Common ones include having been told in writing that you must leave within 21 days, living in someone else's home because of money problems, or moving two or more times for money reasons in the last 60 days.

The ESG rental assistance rule allows:

• Back rent: a one-time payment of up to 6 months of arrears, including late fees on those months.
• Short-term rent: up to 3 months of future rent.
• Medium-term rent: more than 3 and up to 24 months.
• Overall cap: no more than 24 months of help in any 3-year period.

Prevention programs usually also offer case management and may help with utility arrears or moving costs. Funding comes in yearly rounds and can run out, so ask when the next intake opens if a program is closed.

Local rent funds after federal ERA

With ERA gone, one-time rent help now comes from a patchwork of sources. None is guaranteed, and most help only once a year:

• State or city programs paid for with local budgets or housing trust funds. Some focus on families with a court case.
• Community action agencies, which often run prevention, utility, and rent programs in one office.
• Charities such as the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, St. Vincent de Paul, and local churches, which may pay part of a month's rent.
• TANF emergency help for families with children in some states.
• VA's SSVF program for veterans and their families, reached through the VA line above.

Many funds will only pay if the payment actually solves the problem, so expect to show that you can afford rent going forward. Bring a landlord ledger showing what you owe. Ask your landlord in writing whether they will accept a payment from an agency and pause the eviction while you apply.

Free legal help before an eviction hearing

An eviction notice is not an eviction. In nearly every state, a landlord must go to court, win, and have a sheriff or marshal carry out the order. Tenants who come to court, and especially tenants with a lawyer, often get more time, a payment agreement, or a dismissal if the landlord made a mistake.

To find free help, use the Legal Services Corporation finder, which lists the federally funded legal aid group for your address, or LawHelp.org, which lists nonprofit legal aid and self-help forms by state. Some cities and states also give tenants a right to a free lawyer in eviction court; ask legal aid whether yours does. Never skip a hearing, even if you have already applied for rent help.

Motel stays and short-term placements

If you have already lost your home, a motel voucher can bridge a few nights while shelter or housing is arranged. These are not sold or applied for online. They come from agencies: county social services, coordinated entry, the Red Cross after a fire, domestic violence programs, and some charities. Most cover a few nights, and families, people leaving the hospital, and people with disabilities usually get priority. For the details, see our guide to an emergency hotel voucher for tonight.

Rapid re-housing is the next step many systems offer. It can pay a deposit, first month's rent, and some months of rent while a case manager helps you find a place. You reach it through coordinated entry, not a separate application.

Housing authority preferences and voucher status

Public housing and Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) are long-term, not instant. Waitlists can run for years. But housing authorities can move some people up. Federal rules for public housing and vouchers let each agency adopt local preferences, such as for people who are homeless, displaced, or survivors of domestic violence. Each agency chooses its own, so read its admissions plan or ask, "Do you have a preference for homelessness or displacement, and what proof do you need?" Find your agency on HUD's public housing agency contact list, and see our public housing guide for how to apply.

Emergency Housing Vouchers

Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs) were a 2021 program for people who were homeless, at risk, or fleeing violence. They are closed to new families. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a stopgap spending law signed September 2, 2026 requires HUD to give tenant protection vouchers to every household still using an EHV as of September 30, 2026, with conversions due by the end of 2026. That covers more than 40,000 families. Funding for 2027 still depends on Congress. If you hold an EHV, stay in touch with your housing authority and answer its letters quickly.

Housing help after a disaster

If a fire, flood, or storm damaged your home in an area with a federal disaster declaration that includes help for individuals, apply with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362. FEMA's Individuals and Households Program can pay rental assistance for a temporary place, reimburse some lodging costs, and help with repairs. In some disasters FEMA also runs Transitional Sheltering Assistance, which pays for a hotel room directly. It is offered only for certain disasters and areas, so ask when you register. For a house fire or a local disaster without a federal declaration, call the Red Cross and 211.

How do I find emergency housing assistance near me?

1. Dial 211 or search by ZIP code at 211.org. Ask specifically for "homelessness prevention," "rent assistance," and "legal aid."
2. Call your county or city housing office or community action agency and ask what is open this month.
3. Check the USA.gov public housing page for how to reach your housing authority.
4. Contact legal aid the same day you get court papers.
5. Call your utility if a shutoff is part of the crisis; many have hardship funds.

Be wary of websites that charge fees to "apply for you" or promise approval. Real programs are free and decide based on rules and funding.

Applying without losing time

Rent funds move faster when your file is complete on the first call. Gather these first: a photo ID for each adult, your lease, the notice or court papers, a landlord ledger, proof of income for the last 30 days (or a written statement if you have none), and a recent utility bill if you also owe the utility. Our documents checklist has a fuller list.

Write down every agency you contact, the date, and what they said. If one program cannot pay the whole amount, ask whether they can split it with another. Agencies often combine funds when they talk to each other.

Related guides

• Emergency funding for homeless households
• Housing Choice Voucher program
• Salvation Army rental assistance
• Emergency shelter

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Program rules, funding, and eviction procedures vary by state and city and change often. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with HUD, Treasury, FEMA, any housing authority, or any government agency.