Tuscaloosa rental assistance programs provide grants, not loans

Tuscaloosa Alabama is served by a couple of housing assistance agencies. Instead of loans, these organizations provide grant funding for lower income households who need help either staying in their current home or being approved for their next one.

Love Inc. is a faith-based organization that can assess your needs and provide assistance in a number of areas. Assistance can include rental assistance and arranging for security deposits to cover requirements for your new apartment or home.

While Love Inc. does not have funding to cover all of your family’s needs, they do have relationships with other organizations and churches to ensure that they can meet the needs of your family. In addition to rental assistance, your case manager will determine what your family needs to see if you are eligible for payments toward electricity bills and other bills. For more information, you may contact Love Inc. at 205-614-2849.

Another agency that you may wish to contact is Community Service Programs of West Alabama Inc. This agency can provide safe and affordable housing to families who are at risk of eviction and homelessness.

If your family meets eligibility requirements you may be able to move into one of 15 apartments reserved for low income families. Many of these apartments have been retrofitted to accommodate families with special needs, including physical handicap and elderly tenants. Income limits are less stringent for a larger family sizes.

Best of all you do not have to be an accepted into the section 8 program in order to be granted access into one of these apartments. Still section 8 vouchers are accepted. For more information and to find out how you can speak with a case manager call 205-469-0366.

You will note that these programs can provide rental assistance and money each word security deposits without having to obtain a loan. In fact you may qualify for a grant that does not have to be repaid. This can be a huge advantage over trying to obtain a loan, since you do not have to worry about repaying the funds that you receive. This leaves more money in your budget to cover other basic needs including electricity groceries and your children’s related schooling costs.

If you do decide to obtain a loan, make sure that you only visit a reputable lender. Banks and credit unions are always going to be preferred sources to obtain a loan. Alternatively you will likely have to pay through the nose if you obtain a loan through a payday lender or a consumer finance agency.

If you are not sure that you qualify for these rental assistance programs, we recommend that you dial 211 in order to be connected with one of the many community service agencies that are affiliated with the United Way of West Alabama. These programs often work independently of the local housing authority, thereby providing you with additional resources to have back rent payments, security deposits and first month’s rent covered when you’re in a time of need.