Who Help With Security Deposit Costs? Every Source of Move-In Help Compared

Agencies and groups who help with security deposit costs

Deposit help in the U.S. is not one program. It is a patchwork of federal grants passed down to states and cities, state-funded programs, and private charity money. The table below sorts the main sources by who they serve. The right one for you depends mostly on two things: whether you are homeless or about to be, and whether you belong to a group with its own program, such as veterans or families on cash aid.

Most programs pay the landlord directly and ask for the landlord's information, a copy of the lease or a letter of intent to rent, and proof that the rent is affordable for you. Few will help with a unit you cannot keep paying for.

Federal money behind local deposit help

Most government-funded deposit help traces back to three U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs. You never apply to HUD directly; local agencies apply for the grants and run the programs. Knowing the federal rules still helps, because they set the outer limits of what a local agency can do.

• Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG). Under 24 CFR 576.105, ESG can pay a security deposit of no more than 2 months' rent, a rental application fee, last month's rent when needed, and standard utility deposits. ESG funds both rapid re-housing and homelessness prevention. HUD's ESG program page explains how the money flows to cities, counties, and states.
• Continuum of Care (CoC) rental assistance. The CoC rule at 24 CFR 578.51 also caps deposits at 2 months' rent and allows an advance payment of last month's rent on top of the deposit and first month.
• HOME Investment Partnerships. 24 CFR 92.209 lets a state or city use HOME money for security deposit grants or loans to low- and very low-income families, even if it does not also give monthly rent help. Some cities run deposit-only programs this way.

The federal rules set a ceiling, not a promise. A local agency can choose to pay less, serve only certain groups, or run out of money partway through the year.

State and county deposit programs

Some states fund their own deposit help or run federal money through a named statewide program. Names and rules differ a lot, which is why a quick look at real examples helps you know what to ask for in your state.

Sources: Mass.gov RAFT, Pennsylvania DHS, South Dakota Housing, Connecticut Department of Housing, and California Department of Social Services.

Two lessons stand out. First, eligibility often hinges on a status you may not think to mention, like receiving cash aid or staying in a shelter. Say it upfront. Second, many state programs work through local partner agencies, so you may not be able to apply to the state at all. In South Dakota, for example, renters apply through a list of housing commissions and nonprofits, not to the state housing agency.

If your state is not listed, ask your state's human services agency about "emergency assistance," "homeless prevention," or "TANF diversion," and ask your city housing department whether it uses HOME money for deposits.

Rapid re-housing and coordinated entry

If you are staying in a shelter, a car, or another place not meant for living, rapid re-housing is usually the most complete deposit help available. These programs pay move-in costs and often a few months of rent while you get settled. They are paid for with ESG or Continuum of Care money, so the 2-month deposit cap applies.

The catch is that you usually cannot walk into a rapid re-housing program directly. Most areas use a coordinated entry system: one phone line or set of access points where you are assessed and placed on a priority list. Connecticut's deposit guarantee is a good example; it only takes referrals from the state's Coordinated Access Network. Ask 211 or shelter staff, "How do I get assessed for coordinated entry?" Being on the list is often what opens the door to deposit money.

If you are not homeless yet but are about to lose your housing, ask about homelessness prevention instead. It can help you move into a cheaper unit before you end up in shelter.

Housing authorities and voucher holders

The Housing Choice Voucher program (often called Section 8) helps with monthly rent, but the voucher itself does not pay a security deposit. Landlords may charge voucher holders a deposit, within state law limits and what they charge other tenants.

Some housing authorities have stepped in anyway. A number of agencies use administrative funds, local money, or partner grants to help voucher holders with deposits or to offer landlords signing bonuses, especially in tight rental markets. Whether yours does depends entirely on local funding. When you receive your voucher briefing, ask, "Does this agency offer any security deposit help or landlord incentive?" You can find your agency on HUD's public housing agency contact list.

Voucher holders who are moving to a new area may also qualify for mobility programs. In Connecticut, for example, participants in the Section 8 mobility program can use the state's deposit guarantee.

Deposit help for veterans

Veterans have the strongest dedicated option. The VA's Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program funds local nonprofits that help veteran households who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Under 38 CFR 62.34, SSVF can pay a security deposit once every 2 years and a utility deposit once every 2 years, along with rent and moving costs.

Start with the VA's National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838, which is free and open around the clock. Veterans with a HUD-VASH voucher should also ask their VA case manager, since SSVF and VASH teams often work together on move-in costs.

Charities and faith groups

Charities fill the gaps that government programs leave, especially for people who are not homeless but simply cannot pull together a deposit and first month's rent at once. Their help tends to be smaller and depends on donations, so it is often a partial payment combined with your own savings or another program.

We have separate, detailed guides for the biggest charitable sources:

• Salvation Army security deposit assistance, run through local corps offices.
• Catholic Charities security deposit assistance, which differs widely by diocese.
• Churches that help with security deposit costs, including benevolence funds and St. Vincent de Paul conferences.

Community action agencies and local United Way partners sometimes have small move-in funds too. Many charities ask that you show a signed lease or a landlord's letter, and that your income covers the ongoing rent.

Getting the most out of a 211 call

211 is a free, confidential referral line that keeps lists of local programs, including which ones have money right now. A few habits make the call more useful:

• Use the exact words "security deposit." General rent help and deposit help are often different programs.
• Share your status upfront: homeless or not, veteran, family with children, disability, fleeing domestic violence, or receiving cash aid or a voucher.
• Have numbers ready: the deposit amount, the monthly rent, your monthly income, and your move-in date.
• Ask for two or three referrals, not just one, in case the first is out of funds.
• Write down names and dates. Programs reopen when new funding arrives, and you may need to call back.

Guarantees, payment plans, and deposit alternatives

Not all deposit help is cash. A deposit guarantee, like Connecticut's, is a written promise to the landlord to pay for damage or unpaid rent up to a set amount after you move out. The landlord gets protection, and you get the keys without paying upfront. Ask any program whether it offers a guarantee if cash is tight.

You can also ask the landlord directly about splitting the deposit into installments over two or three months. Some states set rules on deposit limits or installments, so check your state's tenant rights resources.

Some landlords offer "deposit replacement" or "deposit insurance" products, where you pay a monthly or one-time fee instead of a deposit. Read these carefully. The fee is usually not refundable, and if there is damage, the insurer may still come to you for repayment. Over a long lease, you may pay more than the deposit would have been.

Which source should I try first?

Your situation points to the best starting place:

• You are homeless or in shelter: coordinated entry for rapid re-housing first, then 211 for charities.
• You are about to lose your home: ask 211 for homelessness prevention and any state program like RAFT or HAP.
• You are a veteran: call 877-424-3838 for SSVF before anything else.
• You get cash aid for your children: ask your county welfare or TANF office about emergency or homeless assistance; in California, that is CalWORKs Homeless Assistance.
• You have a voucher: ask your housing authority about deposit help or landlord incentives.
• You are working and stably housed, just short on move-in cash: charities, churches, and a payment plan with the landlord are usually the best fit.

Here is an example. A mother of two in Pittsburgh is moving because her rent went up. She has found a cheaper apartment with an $1,100 deposit. Her county HAP provider could cover up to $1,500 in a 24-month period, which would handle the deposit. If HAP funds are used up for the year, she might combine a smaller Salvation Army grant with a two-month installment plan from the landlord.

Applying for deposit help, step by step

1. Find a unit you can afford long term. Most programs check that rent is a reasonable share of your income.
2. Get the numbers in writing from the landlord: rent, deposit, move-in date, and the landlord's contact and tax information.
3. Call 211 and ask for security deposit programs that fit your situation.
4. Apply to more than one source if allowed, and tell each one about the others.
5. Gather papers such as ID, proof of income, and the lease or landlord letter. Our document checklist covers the general list; each program will tell you its own.
6. Follow up within a few days and keep the landlord updated on timing.
7. Keep the receipt and lease so you can recover the deposit when you move out.

Related guides

• Charities that help with deposit for rent
• Emergency funding for homeless households
• Massachusetts assistance programs
• Rental assistance

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Program rules, amounts, and funding change, and local agencies make the final decisions. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not a government agency or a charity; applying for official programs is always free.