Many Mississippians are facing challenges in obtaining quality and affordable housing due to financial constraints. Fortunately, there are several rental and support programs to help you fulfill your housing demands. These services are mostly available for the low-income, disabled, and senior members of the community. Keep reading this article for more housing resources.
Mississippi First-Time Homebuyer Programs
There are mortgage options available for low-income first-time homebuyers in Mississippi who can choose to achieve their homeownership dream. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) administers the FHA loan program that protects homebuyers from financial risk. These loans are a better option for homebuyers who are facing financial struggles. The loans require you to pay up to a 3.5% down payment. Having a low credit score? Don’t worry. FHA loans provide financial support to low-income families and those who have not established high credit scores. There are also conventional loan programs, which usually require applicants to make a down payment of at least 20%. VA loans serve veterans and their spouses. They are usually provided at low-interest rates and do not require you to make a down payment. Visit https://www.fha.com/first-time-home-buyers-program/mississippi-first-time-homebuyer-programs for more details.
Mississippi Center for Justice – Foreclosure Prevention
The Mississippi Center for Justice provides legal services to Mississippi residents in need of support with foreclosure. They make sure that homeowners know their rights and responsibilities. The program services include education and outreach regarding foreclosure prevention and advocating for the rights of homeowners in Mississippi. The program also provides financial education to clients to help reduce the number of Mississippians falling behind their mortgage payments. That is to help reduce the causes of homelessness across the state. Find out more at https://mscenterforjustice.org/work/foreclosure-prevention/.
At Teacher Next Door
The organization works to help low-income earners in Mississippi become homeowners by guiding them through the whole process. They connect you with available community resources and help you explore the options, including grants, down payment support, and closing cost assistance. The organization delivers its services to the residents in need through public service professionals, including housing authorities and government agencies. Read more about the program at https://www.teachernextdoor.us/Mississippi.
Rapid Re-Housing Assistance
The purpose of the program is to support low-income families with rental payments, security and utility deposits, and case management services to families and individuals experiencing homelessness in Mississippi. The program offers permanent housing support to individuals about to become homeless due to eviction notice. To qualify for the program assistance, your income must be 30% of the area’s median income. The program also works to enable qualified applicants to achieve financial sufficiency by helping them find jobs and become stable in the community. The program offers intermediary services to tenants having issues with their landlords. Having trouble developing a proper budget that meets your family’s needs and situation? the Rapid-Rehousing Assistance program can help you come up with a great financial budget that suits your circumstances. Visit https://www.muteh.org/copy-of-contact to apply for the program assistance.
Emergency Solutions Grant
The Emergency Solutions Grant supports the unsheltered homeless families to obtain permanent and temporary housing in Mississippi. The program links the program participants with emergency shelters and other support services to help them achieve stabilization in the community. To be eligible to participate in the program, you must be experiencing eviction or have received notice. Your income must not exceed 30% of the area’s median income. Find out more at https://www.muteh.org/copy-of-contact.
Non-Elderly Disabled (NED)
Mississippi Regional Housing Authority administers the NED program. The program provides support to non-senior family members with a disability and who are living in care facilities. The program support is provided to the eligible participants in form of housing vouchers and is designed to help them move out of the care facilities to their own homes and live independently. Who qualifies for the program assistance? You must meet all the eligibility requirements of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. You must not be older than 62. Please note that the program only applications by referrals from the Mississippi Regional Housing Authority. Find out more at https://www.mrha6.org/section-8-housing-programs/other-housing-programs-types/non-elderly-disabled-ned/.
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities
The Section 811 Supportive program provides rental assistance to people living with disabilities to enable them to live independently in the surrounding communities. The program subsidized a portion of their rent and provide other supportive services as well. The program provides support in two ways. One is through rental subsidies to the disabled tenants. The other way is by subsidizing the local non-profit agencies to enable them to create more opportunities for affordable housing for people living with disabilities. Who qualifies for the program assistance? the household applying must have an income not exceeding 50% of the area median income and have at least one disabled member. Disability can include persons with physical impairment or serious mental illness. Check if you are eligible for the program assistance at https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/5892#Eligibility_Checker. Want to apply for the program support? You must wait for funding to be available to run the program activities, which is usually published and posted on http://www.grants.gov/. For more details about how the program operates, please visit https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/5892.
USDA’s Single-Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants in Mississippi
The purpose of this program is to provide financial support through loans and grants to low-income and senior homeowners in form of grants and loans to help them improve the condition of their homes. Loans are strictly used for repairs and improving homes while grants are given to the senior homeowners to help them with the safety and health threats from their homes. The applicants must provide proof that they own and occupy the property to qualify for financial support. Your family income must not exceed 50% of the area’s median income. For grants, you must be 62 years or older and demonstrate an inability to make repayments. However, you will repay the funds if you resell or transfer ownership of the property to someone else. The program loans are repayable over 20 years and are provided at a fixed interest rate of 1%. Find out more at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-repair-loans-grants/ms.
Section 8 Housing Program
The program provides rental support to eligible low-income families to help them obtain quality and affordable housing in Mississippi. The program subsidizes part of the applicants’ rent through housing vouchers, which are handed to the landlords on behalf of the qualified families. The program participants are required to pay 30% or 40% of their income as rent. The program allows the applicants to chose where to live as long as it meets the quality standards of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It can be a townhouse, single-family home, or rental apartments. The Pubic Housing Authorities (PHAs) run the program at the local level and they also process the application and determine who qualifies for the program assistance. They place qualified families on waiting lists as they wait for the program assistance. Please note that the program assistance is based on the availability of funds. Find out more at https://www.hud.gov/states/mississippi/renting.
Mississippi Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
Mississippi LIHEAP is designed to support low-income families pay their home energy bills. The goal of the program is to keep families out of the harsh weather. Remember, the support is only available for low-income families who use most of what they earn in paying for energy and utility bills. The funds are directly given to the service providers of low-income families. The program provides additional grants to families experiencing heating emergencies, including threats of disconnection from the energy source. The program also ensures homes stay weatherized by reducing energy costs and improving energy efficiency at homes. Visit https://www.psc.ms.gov/ubpa.