for renters

Rental Assistance

Rhode Island Housing provides access to homes for rent as well as rental assistance. The two main rental assistance programs are the Housing Choice Voucher Program and Section 8 Subsidized Apartment Rental Assistance. In-depth information on each program is below.

Housing Choice Voucher Program

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is the federal government’s major program for helping eligible families, senior citizens, and individuals with disabilities afford safe, healthy homes in their community.

CHOOSE YOUR OWN HOME: The program provides the opportunity for eligible participants to:

• choose their own home, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments, in the community where they want to live

• use the vouchers to help pay the rent, virtually anywhere a landlord will accept them

This means you have the flexibility to choose any home that meets your family needs. It can even be your present residence.

For a home or apartment to be eligible:

• the owner must agree to participate in the voucher program and

• the home must meet minimum safety requirements

The landlord receives a housing subsidy directly from the Public Housing Authority (PHA) in the respective community on behalf of the participating individual or family. The family then pays the difference between the rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by the program. Under certain circumstances, if authorized by the PHA, a family may use its voucher to purchase a modest home.

Housing Choice Vouchers are administered locally by the PHA in each community. However, Rhode Island Housing serves as the PHA in many communities, including those cities and towns that do not have their own.

WAITING LIST: There is currently a waiting list for the Housing Choice Voucher Program administered by Rhode Island Housing. This list is currently closed and we are not accepting any new applications. However, our Project Based Voucher Program list is currently open and you may apply to be placed on these lists by clicking on the "APPLY HERE" link below. If you are already on our waiting list, you may check your status by clicking the “CHECK STATUS” link below. If you elect to check your status, the system will ask for your year of birth and password. You may also access your status by calling 1-877-567-1487. For more information, contact us at vgalarza@rhodeislandhousing.org or 401-457-1197.

APPLY HERE

Family Self-Sufficiency Program

The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program provides job training, education and other services to help participants in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program to gain skills and experience necessary to obtain jobs and achieve financial independence.

Graduates receive cash bonuses that can add up to thousands of dollars. Graduates may also be eligible for our FirstHomes loan program to purchase their own home. For information about FSS, contact us at 401-457-1106 or mmensah@rhodeislandhousing.org.

Section 8 Subsidized Apartments

The Section 8 Subsidized Apartment Rental Assistance is a federal program that helps income-eligible individuals, families, senior citizens, and individuals with disabilities to pay just 30 percent of their income towards their rent so they can afford safe, healthy homes. For example, if you earn $1,000 a month, you would pay just $300 toward the monthly rent.