West Virginia offers housing assistance programs through non-profits and other state programs to help residents stay in safe housing. Most of the programs target low-income families, homeless individuals and those at risk of experiencing the situation, disabled, and the senior members of the community. The main focus is on improving the number of affordable options for housing.
Affordable Housing Fund
The West Virginia Legislature created the Affordable Housing Fund program to finance local non-profits and housing agencies to address the housing needs of the low-income families in the State. The goal of the program is carried out through the active collaboration of organizations, partnerships, and community involvement in ensuring affordable housing is available to the residents. Find out more at https://www.wvhdf.com/programs/affordable-housing-fund.
Home4Good Program
The Home4Good program was established by the West Virginia Housing Development Fund to help in addressing the most critical housing needs of West Virginia residents. The program funding will be directed to the local organizations offering housing services to the residents. How will they make use of the program funds? The organizations will use the program finance in reducing cases of homelessness and ensure the situation is not recurring among residents at risk. The program makes use of the Continuum of Care approach and coordination of the activities to ensure the most vulnerable groups in the population are addressed. The program also provides case management services and other forms of assistance, including financial support to help in eliminating homelessness. Please visit https://www.wvhdf.com/programs/home4good for more details.
The Low-Income ASSISTED Mortgage Program (LAMP)
The purpose of the program is to help in improving low-income housing opportunities for the West Virginians. How does the program achieve this? The program provides a source of financing to the Habitat for Humanity Organizations to sell the existing single-family Habitat mortgages and use the additional funds to develop more housing for the low-income families. Learn more about this program at https://www.wvhdf.com/programs/lamp-low-income-assisted-mortgage-program.
Multifamily Loan Program
The Multifamily Loan Program funds projects that help in the construction of new structures and rehabilitation of existing buildings. The program’s focus is to provide more opportunities for low-income housing to families in need of support. The program loans the private and public housing developers to deliver these services. Please note that the program must be used along with a loan guarantee or mortgage insurance. The loans have terms of up to 40 years and fixed low-interest rates. Find out more at https://www.wvhdf.com/programs/multifamily-loan-program.
National Housing Trust Fund
The West Virginia Housing Development Fund administers the National Housing Trust Fund program. The program sources its funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program is committed to increasing the opportunities for decent and affordable housing for low-income and homeless families. The main focus is on low-income rental housing. The program funds can e used to construct new structures rehabilitate the existing ones. The program services are delivered through development projects, which aim to improve multifamily rental housing options for low-income households. For more details, visit https://www.wvhdf.com/programs/national-housing-trust-fund-program.
West Virginia Property Rescue Initiative
The West Virginia Property Rescue Initiative is a loan program available for cities and municipalities who want to demolish dangerous structures from their communities. To be eligible for the program assistance, the cities and municipalities must have permission to destroy buildings that poses threats to the health and safety of the community residents. The program loans are repayable over 7 years. Are you a contractor? Are you interested to learn how your services could help in doing away with the dangerous buildings in the community? Fill this form. Find out more at https://www.wvhdf.com/programs/west-virginia-property-rescue-initiative.
Covenant House – Emergency Assistance Program
Are you facing eviction? The Emergency Assistance Program provides financial support to low-income families facing eviction or having problems paying their utility bills. Why does this program exist amongst West Virginians? Well, the program believes that low-income families can be helped with their housing costs because after all, we all need stability in our lives. That is why the program’s main focus is on families with incomes below the poverty line and their children. Your housing or financial need must be an emergency. In other words, you must be facing eviction or disconnection from the energy source. Visit https://wvcovenanthouse.org/programs/emergency-assistance/ for more details.
Emergency Solutions Grant Program
What does the Emergency Solutions Grant Program do? The ESG program provides support and shelter services to the homeless and individuals facing threats of homelessness in the community. The program also provides homelessness prevention, case management, and re-housing services to homeless victims. Who is eligible for the program support? Please note that ESG doesn’t reach out directly to the low-income or families facing homelessness for housing support. Instead, the program uses the non-profit organizations that provide housing and other support services. Find out more at https://wvcad.org/sustainability/esg.
Community Participation Grant Program
The Community Participation Grant Program (CPGP) works to improve in West Virginia Communities. The program funds various projects that are geared toward achieving the stability of the local community members, including housing support. The program funds can be used to destroy dangerous buildings, construct new structures, and rehabilitate the existing ones. Who qualifies for this program? The program only considers applications from cities, municipalities, and units of the local government. The program hands funds to these authorities to run various projects that are designed to improve the condition of the local communities through West Virginia. For more details, please visit https://wvcad.org/sustainability/community-participation-grant-program.
Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is designed to provide rental support to families earning incomes below the poverty level. How does it work? The local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) determine eligibility, which includes meeting citizenship and income requirements, and processes the applications of the families in need of assistance. Applicants choose where they want to live as long the housing units meet the quality standards of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Once approved for support, the qualified applicants are placed on a waiting list, which is managed by the PHAs. The participants contribute either 30% or 40% of their family income towards rent, while the program covers the rest of the arrears, which might pay for utilities as well. The payment assistance from the Section 8 Housing Program comes in form of a subsidy that is paid through vouchers. The housing vouchers are given directly to the landlords. Please, ensure you meet the eligibility requirements of the program to be considered for support. Also, note that the program assistance will depend upon the fund’s availability, family income, and priorities, such as disability or old age. Your income must meet the low-income limits according to the federal poverty guide by HUD. For more details, please visit https://www.hud.gov/states/west_virginia/renting
West Virginia Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
The West Virginia LIHEAP was established to provide financial support to families having problems paying their home energy bills. The main focus is on keeping everyone out of the harsh weather. Whether you need assistance with heating or cooling emergencies, replacement/repair equipment, utility bills, or simply need your home weatherized, LIHEAP got you covered. The program is exclusively for low-income families who spend the most on paying their energy bills. For more details, please visit https://dhhr.wv.gov/bcf/Services/familyassistance/Pages/Utility-Assistance.aspx.
USDA’s Single-Family Housing Direct Home Loans in West Virginia
The program works to provide support in form of direct loans to families with low-income to enable them to obtain decent and safe housing they can afford in the USDA-eligible rural areas. The programs aim to improve the repayment ability of qualified families and reduce their mortgage payments for some time. The loans are repayable over 33 years. However, families with extremely low-income can make repayments after 38 years. The applicants can use the funds for repairs and renovations, and change systems if necessary, including water sewerage systems in their homes. Find out more at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-direct-home-loans/wv.
USDA’s Single-Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants in West Virginia
The purpose of this program is to provide loans and grants to homeowners to help improve the condition of their homes. To qualify for the program assistance, you must be willing to remain in the property and use it as your primary residence, demonstrate an inability to repay grants, and show that you need decent and quality housing. You must meet the income and citizenship requirements. Your housing must be located in the USDA-eligible rural areas. The program offers loans to low-income homeowners and is designed for the repair or renovation of more modernized homes. grants are provided to the senior homeowners to help them deal with the health and safety threats in their homes. Visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-repair-loans-grants/wv for more details.