Housing Assistance for People on SSI
Written by Tony Guerra; Updated June 30, 2017
1 Affordable Housing for Persons Receiving SSDI
2 Find a House for Rent for People with a Low Income
3 Apply for Low Rent Housing Assistance
4 Programs That Help to Pay for Apartments for Low Income Families
Funded by general tax revenues, the Supplemental Security Income program was created to provide financial assistance to elderly and disabled individuals with little or no income. According to its website, SSI provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing and shelter. Monthly SSI payments are based on need, and can be as much as $1,098 for couples, as of 2012. However, SSI wasn't intended to provide for eligible recipients' housing needs, so additional housing assistance is sometimes necessary.
SSI and SSP
SSI is a cash payment from the federal government that sometimes can be supplemented with various state payments. For example, California provides citizens receiving federal SSI payments with a State Supplementary Payment, or SSP. Neither SSI nor SSP are direct housing assistance programs. However, SSI recipients can contact the Social Security Administration's "State Assistance Programs for SSI Recipients" for information on state-level efforts that involve housing assistance for people receiving SSI.
SSI and Section 8
As of 2012, single people eligible for Supplemental Security Income payments receive $698 monthly, while couples receive $1,098. As such, these low-income individuals may qualify for federal and state housing assistance. For example, SSI recipients may qualify for HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Program, known as "Section 8." Section 8 is subsidized housing; recipients pay about 30 percent of their income towards rent, while Section 8 vouchers pay the remainder.
Charitable Housing Assistance
The waiting list for Section 8 housing vouchers and for government-owned public housing can be lengthy. Fortunately, charitable organizations exist that provide clean, safe, affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. Mercy Housing, a charity that works to provide housing to the needy, operates in California and in 21 other states. Housing communities and complexes operated by Mercy Housing include San Francisco's 10th & Mission Family Housing complex.
Utilities-Related Assistance
Housing assistance also includes help meeting basic housing expenses, such as utilities. SSI recipients needing help with utility bills should utilize federal programs such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. The Golden State's LIHEAP effort is carried out through the state's many local energy service providers, and SSI recipients may qualify, given their low incomes. The LIHEAP.org website has links and information for each state's utilities payment assistance programs.
For SSI recipients, qualifying for the program is only half the battle. Finding affordable housing that's safe and clean can also be a challenge for those receiving SSI payments. States such as California employ local public housing authorities to give SSI recipients a hand finding housing. The San Francisco Bay Area also features several county and municipal-level PHAs, including in Oakland, Santa Clara and Richmond.
How Do I Qualify As Low Income for HUD Senior Housing?
I'm Unemployed & Disabled; How Can I Buy a House?
Find Subsidized Housing
Can Someone Refuse to Rent Me an Apartment Because I Get SSI?
Does Section 8 Housing Allow People to Rent to Own?
Housing Assistance Programs for Women