The downturn that the economy has taken has affected everyone for the worse, such that there are quite a few who are resorting to low-income apartments for rent. There are a few ways to go about it which we will let you know through the following information. The Federal Government provides rental assistance to such people so that their quest for decent accommodation is fulfilled, despite their inability to put down a significant amount of cash in lieu of rent. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is entrusted with the task of providing apartments for rent for people with low income in urban areas while the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers low-income apartments for rent in rural areas. Another place where you could check is the Human Services Department which is again a government body that will be able to help you find an apartment.

Apartments for Rent for Low Income Families

While going about looking for such places, the number one resource that you can tap is the Internet. Here you will find all the information you need along with a few government references that sure is worth checking out. A few well-known programs that help people find low-income apartments are:

HUD Rental Assistance Programs. The HUD provides rental assistance in the form of housing vouchers, subsidized housing, and public housing, to eligible individuals.

Privately Owned Subsidized Housing. Privately owned subsidized housing is made possible by cooperation between the HUD and the landlords. The latter receives subsidies from the government that can be applied towards rent, building costs and other expenses on rental properties. These subsidies make it feasible for the landlord to provide low-income apartments. Privately owned subsidized houses may be operated by non-profit entities or by large for-profit housing developers.

Public Housing. Public housing agencies (PHAs) receive Federal aid from the HUD for managing public houses for low-income tenants, the elderly, and people with disabilities. It is estimated that at present, there are around 1.2 million households residing in public housing units that are managed by some 3,300 PHAs. The HUD also provides technical support for the purpose of planning, developing, and managing these public dwellings.

Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). The housing voucher program allows eligible families to look for an apartment, a single-family home or a townhouse of their choice and use the voucher to pay for all or part of the rent. These vouchers are administered by PHAs and under special circumstances, the PHAs may authorize the tenants to use the vouchers to purchase a modest home of their choice. The biggest advantage of this program is the freedom of being able to choose a rental apartment that need not be a part of a subsidized housing project. However, these homes/apartments have to meet the acceptable level of health and safety standards to be approved by the PHA. Moreover, the PHA inspects the proposed home and determines whether the rent is reasonable.

To rent a privately owned subsidized home, one is expected to contact the property manager. One should contact public housing agencies for details regarding public housing and housing choice vouchers. For additional information regarding applying for low-income housing. one may contact HUD sponsored housing counseling agencies.

Rural Rental Assistance Programs. Low income families, that reside in Rural Rental Housing (RRH), Rural Cooperative Housing (RCH) and Farm Labor Housing (FLH) projects that are financed by the USDA Rural Housing Service, are eligible for rental assistance, provided, the housing project is not for profit or has been undertaken for limited profit.

Human Services Department. This government run department allots a case worker to a person who will help locate a few low-income apartments before negotiating the price with the owner. The reduced price is then paid by the person. In case the price is still quite steep, the person is made to pay whatever he/she can manage and the difference is paid by the department. The only thing required and is a must is the paperwork. You need to have it all in order to even be considered for the same, the reason being that there have been quite a few cases of fraud where people have taken advantage of the program.

Be prepared to wait for a while till the wheels start moving for you. That's because there are a lot of people out there who are looking out for something similar to you, and the problem here is that such rental apartments are few. The most you could do is to follow-up with your point of contact so that he/she knows that you are determined to get yourself an apartment, which might get your name pushed up the list. In addition to the aforementioned entities, state and local governments, and non-profit organizations may also be contacted for further details in this regard.