Low Income Housing for Single Mothers: Vouchers, Preferences, Transitional Homes, and Child Care Help

Low income housing for single mothers at a glance

Each option fits a different need. Some are for the long term, some for the next few months, and some for a crisis. Most mothers apply to several at once.

For a full explanation of each type, income limits, and screening, see our main guide to low income apartments. The rest of this page focuses on what changes when you are a mother raising children on one income.

Public housing and Section 8 vouchers

Your local public housing agency (PHA), also called a housing authority, runs both public housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. Public housing is an apartment the PHA owns. A voucher lets you rent from a private landlord, and the PHA pays part of the rent directly to the owner.

For a mother with children, a few points stand out:

• Unit size follows your family. PHAs set bedroom sizes by household. Report every child who lives with you, including a baby on the way if the PHA counts pregnancy, so you are matched to the right size.
• Child support counts as income. Report what you actually receive. If it stops, report that too, since your rent can be lowered.
• Your voucher can move with you. After the first year, a voucher can often be used in another area through portability, which helps if you need to move closer to family or work.
• Waiting lists vary widely. Some open only for a few days, some use a lottery. Apply to every list you can reach, not just your own city.

Our guide to the housing choice voucher program explains how vouchers work after you receive one.

Waiting list preferences that can help

A preference moves certain applicants ahead of others on a waiting list. HUD lets each PHA choose its own, based on local needs, and list them in its plan. Under the voucher rules in 24 CFR 982.207, preferences a PHA may adopt include:

• Working families, where the head of household is employed.
• Victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. HUD tells PHAs they should consider this preference.
• Residents of the city or county, including people who work or have been hired there. A PHA cannot base it on how long you have lived in the area.
• Families that include a person with a disability.

Many PHAs also give preference to homeless families, people displaced by a disaster, or veterans. When you apply, ask: “What preferences do you use, and what proof do you need?” If you qualify for one, send the proof right away, such as a pay stub for a working family preference or a letter from an advocate for a domestic violence preference.

How children lower your rent

In public housing, voucher, and most HUD-subsidized buildings, your rent is based on adjusted income, not gross pay. Adjusted income is what is left after HUD’s deductions, and children bring two important ones under 24 CFR 5.611:

• A dependent deduction for each child under 18 (and certain older household members who are full-time students or have a disability). The rule sets it at $480 and has HUD adjust it each year for inflation, so ask your PHA for the current figure.
• A child care deduction for reasonable child care costs that let you work or go to school.

Here is a simple example. Say you earn $2,000 a month, have two children, and pay $300 a month for after-school care so you can work. Using the starting $480 figure, the two dependent deductions come to $960 a year, or $80 a month. Your adjusted monthly income would be about $2,000 minus $80 minus $300, or $1,620. Thirty percent of that is about $486, before any utility allowance. Without the deductions, 30% of $2,000 would be $600. Your PHA does the real math, but keeping child care receipts can make a noticeable difference.

Tax credit apartments and voucher holders

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit apartments are privately owned and usually serve households up to about 60% of area median income. The rent is a fixed amount set from the area income limit, not from your paycheck. That works well for a mother with steady earnings, but it can be hard if your income is very low.

Two tips. First, federal tax law, in 26 U.S.C. 42, does not allow tax credit properties to refuse a tenant simply because she holds a Section 8 voucher. Pairing a voucher with a tax credit apartment can bring your share back near 30% of income. Second, tax credit properties often have shorter lists than public housing. HUD keeps a national LIHTC database, and your state housing finance agency usually posts a list with phone numbers.

When you call, ask whether the property has two- or three-bedroom units, whether it accepts vouchers, and what the income limit is for your family size.

Rural homes through USDA

If you live in or can move to a small town, USDA Rural Development finances apartment complexes for low-income families. Many units come with USDA rental assistance, which brings your rent down based on income. Search by state and county on the USDA multifamily rental search, then call the property manager to apply. Rural lists are often shorter than big-city public housing, which matters when you need a place sooner.

Saving while you rent with Family Self-Sufficiency

Many housing authorities run the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program for public housing residents and voucher holders. It pairs you with a coordinator and sets goals such as finishing a training program, getting a better job, or repairing credit.

The key benefit is the escrow account. Normally, when your earnings go up, your rent goes up too. In FSS, under 24 CFR 984.305, part of that rent increase is credited to a savings account in your name instead. Under 24 CFR 984.303, the contract generally runs up to five years and can be extended up to two more for good cause. When you finish, you receive the money, which many families use for a car, school, a deposit, or a home down payment.

FSS is voluntary. Ask your PHA whether it has openings, since some programs have their own waiting lists.

Transitional housing for mothers and children

Transitional housing is a middle step between a shelter and a lease of your own. Programs for mothers usually offer a furnished apartment or room for several months to two years, along with case management, parenting support, budgeting help, and job or school planning. Some ask residents to save part of their income.

Where to look:

• 211, which tracks local transitional programs, including maternity homes for pregnant women and new mothers.
• Your local coordinated entry line, which refers families to transitional and rapid rehousing programs funded by HUD.
• Family Promise, with 173 affiliates listed on its affiliate finder, which helps families with children move from homelessness to housing.
• Faith-based groups such as the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities, which run family and mother-child programs in many cities.

If you are already without a home, see our guide to homeless assistance for single mothers for shelter and first-week steps.

Housing protections for survivors of abuse

Many single mothers are leaving an abusive partner. Domestic violence programs offer confidential emergency shelter and often run their own transitional housing. The National Domestic Violence Hotline, at 1-800-799-7233 or by texting START to 88788, can connect you with local programs any time.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) also protects tenants in HUD housing. You cannot be denied or evicted because you are a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Under 24 CFR 5.2005, each covered housing provider must have an emergency transfer plan so a survivor can move to a safer unit. Ask your PHA or property manager for its VAWA forms and transfer plan.

When child welfare is involved

If a child welfare agency is involved with your family and housing is the main problem, ask about the Family Unification Program. Under federal law (42 U.S.C. 1437f(x)), these special vouchers go to families whom the child welfare agency certifies need housing to prevent a child’s placement in foster care or to bring a child home sooner. Only some PHAs have these vouchers, and you are referred by the child welfare agency, so ask your caseworker directly.

Child care help that makes rent possible

For many mothers, child care costs decide whether rent is payable. The federal Child Care and Development Fund pays states to help working families and parents in school. Under 45 CFR 98.20, children under 13 can qualify when family income is no more than 85% of the state median income, though many states set a lower limit. Once approved, eligibility generally lasts at least 12 months. Find your state program through ChildCare.gov.

Other help to stack with housing:

• Head Start and Early Head Start, free early learning for many low-income children. Use the Head Start center locator.
• WIC, which provides food for pregnant women, new mothers, and children under 5. See the USDA WIC page.
• The Earned Income Tax Credit, which can bring a large refund to working mothers. The IRS EITC page explains who qualifies.
• SNAP, which lowers grocery costs so more income goes to rent. Applying is free through your state.

Applying, step by step

1. List every PHA within reach and ask which public housing and voucher lists are open and what preferences they use.
2. Call tax credit and USDA properties directly and ask about family-size units and voucher acceptance.
3. Gather papers: ID, Social Security numbers, birth certificates for your children, pay stubs, child support records, and child care receipts. Our document checklist covers the rest.
4. Apply for child care help and SNAP at the same time, since lower bills make any rent easier.
5. If you need housing now, call 211 for family shelters and transitional programs for mothers.
6. Keep a log of every list, the date you applied, and how to check in, and update your address whenever it changes.

Related guides

• Low income housing with no waiting list
• Fastest way to get Section 8
• Emergency rental assistance for single mothers
• Government assistance for single mothers

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Income limits, preferences, and waiting lists are set by each housing authority and property and can change. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with HUD, USDA, or any government agency.