Housing Aid For Single Mothers

It is by no means simple managing a family house at the best of times, but when you're a single mother, this process becomes a lot harder. With the government realising this challenge, there are a range of federal support programs developed to support single mothers, in the form of housing grants.

Here are two examples of housing grants for single mothers that are worthy of researching further.

The Public Housing Agency (PHA) Housing Choice Voucher

This is a program set up through the government's Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department, and strives to help low income families. This is achieved by helping to locate a home that fits your specific needs, and then a percentage of your rent is then paid direct to your landlord, easing the monthly strain of your rent.
This voucher can also be used towards the purchase of your home as well, as long as the house is considered to be realistic and suited to your needs.

There are particular requirements that need to be met to be eligible for these vouchers, and contain these terms:

    * You must be a U.S. Citizen or an eligible immigrant
    * Your family income must be below the Median income of your area (or area you wish to move to). These figures can be received from HUD.
    * You must allow access to your banks, employers and agencies, for adequate assessment.
    * Also, the HUD for your area must have met it's legal targets, the main one being that 75% of it's funds are to go to families with incomes of 30% of the area's median income.

To look for your eligibility and to apply, you should speak with your local PHA (Public Housing Agency)

The American Dream Down payment Initiative (ADDI)

When looking for single mothers grants, this system is often considered, although not designed primarily for single mothers, but for low income families, so often single mothers can meet the criteria. The ADDI grant is obtainable only to first time homebuyers, and can offer the following aid:

    * Up to $10,000, or 6% of the purchase price of the house (whichever is larger)
    * Financial support for closing costs
    * Financial support for rehabilitation (eg proper removal of health hazards)

Like the previous grant, you must satisfy specific parameters to qualify, and these include:

    * Be a first time home buyer
    * Be looking to buy a family home (as opposed to a one bedroom flat, for example)
    * Have an income of below 80% of the area median wage (details can be received from your HUD)

There is more assistance for single mothers available, but these two are a good starting point, and an suggestion as to who can qualify. Contact your local HUD for more information, or visit our website.