<p><strong><em></em></strong></p><p><strong><em>Tips for Solo Moms seeking financial resources</em></strong></p><p><strong>DO</strong> start with 2-1-1. It’s a nationwide number with local call centers, staffed with people who know the resources that are available. Ask about gas vouchers, domestic-violence shelters, food stamps, and rental assistance. Ask about job centers, places that might have professional clothing for free, and résumé help. Ask about food banks and places that might have free furniture. They know who has funds and when.</p><p><strong>DON’T</strong> stop there. </p><p><strong>DO</strong> call the local state office, usually called some variation of the Department of Health Services. Better yet, go there. If you need something urgently, tell them. Bring proof of income, proof of residence, vehicle information, bank statements, child-support receipts, and proof of any properties you own. Bring it all in a neat folder, and fill out the application completely. Be polite and dress appropriately. Ask for food stamps, child-care assistance, cash assistance, and help with child support. Remember the agency’s caseload is larger than the staff can handle, but advocate for yourself and your family.</p><p><strong>DON’T</strong> be daunted by the very overwhelming amount of paperwork. If you don’t have everything, fill out what you can, and they’ll ask for proof of something later. It can be especially hard if you’re self-employed, but don’t give up. It’s worth it to get some funding to stand on so you can work toward independence. It’s worth it not to have to worry. </p><p><strong>DO</strong> find out if you are eligible for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/women-infants-and-children-wic">the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (known as WIC)</a> by going to the local WIC office in your area. If you have a baby, you can also call the local health department, which often has countless resources, including car seats and nurses who might do home visits. Call the YWCA. Find out if your town has domestic-violence services if you need an advocate. See if you qualify for the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/programs/liheap">Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program</a> (LIHEAP), which can help with heating costs and sometimes includes insulation for your windows and walls. Ask for a list of low-income housing properties. Ask about the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/lihtc.html">Low-Income Housing Tax Credit</a> (LIHTC), which could be offered through a local housing authority. </p><p><strong>DON’T</strong> stop there.</p><p><strong>DO</strong> call churches, friends, and family, if you can. Ask for help, even if it’s just to watch the kids so you can make a plan. Be honest. Ask for side work. Ask for trades. Ask for financial assistance or scholarships at day camps or dance classes or gymnastics. The YMCA often has fantastic financial assistance and a plethora of summer camps and family nights. </p><p><strong>DON’T </strong>be ashamed, too full of pride, or embarrassed. This is not permanent. </p><p><strong>DO</strong> advocate for your family.</p><p><strong>DON’T</strong> listen to people who think you need drug tests or three jobs or a husband. </p><p><strong>DO</strong> advocate for your kids.</p><p><strong>DON’T</strong> feel pitied.</p><p><strong>DO</strong> advocate for yourself and your basic needs to be met.</p><p><strong>DON’T</strong> feel small. </p><p><strong>DO </strong>find strength. Because you are strong. You’ll get through this. This does not define you.</p><hr><p><span style="font-size: 11px;">Image via Shutterstock.com</span></p>
<p><strong><em>How your local public housing agency can help</em></strong></p><br><p>Finding affordable and safe housing for Solo Moms with very low incomes can be a challenge. There is public and subsidized housing. But there is another program that helps single moms find housing: the Housing Choice Voucher, known as Section 8.</p><p><strong>What is Section 8 housing?</strong></p><p>Section 8 housing is a federal program that assists low-income families in affording a place to live. Unlike subsidized housing or public housing, tenants are free to choose any housing they prefer with Section 8 housing. The only stipulation is the landlord has to agree to rent under the program. If approved, the housing voucher is paid directly to the landlord. The family is responsible only for the difference between the actual rent charged by the landlord and the voucher amount. For instance, if my landlord charges $650 for rent and my housing voucher is $400, I would have to cover only the $250 difference between the two. In some instances, Section 8 housing can also be used to purchase a home. </p><p><strong>How to start</strong></p><p>The first thing you need to do is contact your local <a href="http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/public_indian_housing/pha/contacts" target="_blank">public housing agency (PHA)</a>. You’ll need to fill out an application that asks for your family’s income and assets, how many people are in your family, etc. Once it is completed, the PHA will verify all your information and determine your eligibility.</p><p><strong>Eligibility</strong></p><p>Eligibility for Section 8 housing is based on median income levels and will vary depending on where you live. As a general guideline, a family’s income cannot exceed 50% of the median income for the county or city of residence. For example, if I live in a county where the average family makes $30,000, my income cannot be higher than $15,000 in order to qualify. Income requirements can vary greatly depending on location, so your PHA can provide you with the income limits for your area and family size.</p><p><strong>Waiting lists</strong></p><p>This is a popular program, so waiting lists are common. PHAs may give preference to families that are homeless or living in a shelter, those paying more than 50% of their income for rent, or families that have been involuntarily displaced. Each PHA has the discretion to establish its own policies and procedures that reflect the housing needs in your community. </p><p><strong>Takeaways</strong></p><ul><li>Section 8 housing is a federal program designed to allow low-income families to choose their own housing. </li><li>It can be a good alternative to subsidized and public housing because families can choose the housing type. Landlords can elect to accept Section 8 housing vouchers.</li><li>It is a popular program, and guidelines and rules are determined by each community’s PHA.</li></ul><hr><p><span style="font-size: 11px;">Photo credit: Shutterstock.com</span></p>
<p><strong><em>The harsh facts of minimum wage and rental prices across America</em></strong></p><p>According to the Pew Research Center, 30% of America’s workforce earns a near-minimum-wage salary—many of them Solo Moms. Good housing can be extremely difficult to find for a person earning minimum or close to minimum wage. So how do you make ends meet?</p><p><strong>Tight rental market</strong></p><p>According to a new report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the growing demand for rentals has made the rental market very competitive. Fewer people can afford to buy houses, so rentals become scarce. This tightening rental market has a major impact on low-income renters. According to Kate Brown, governor of Oregon, one out of four households in her state spends more than half its income on housing costs. In 2013, for every 100 extremely low income renter households, there were only 31 affordable and available rental units.</p><p><strong>Nationwide crisis</strong></p><p>Although some states fare better than others, in no city in the United States can a minimum-wage worker work less than 50 hours per week and still afford a two-bedroom apartment. The most expensive rentals are in Virginia; California; New York; and Washington, DC. On average, an American worker needs to earn $19.35 per hour to afford rent for a two-bedroom apartment. And the wage requirement is even higher in the aforementioned states. <a href="http://www.citylab.com/housing/2015/05/mapping-the-hourly-wage-needed-to-rent-a-2-bedroom-apartment-in-every-us-state/394142/?utm_source=atlanticFB" target="_blank">This map from a recent study</a> shows just how difficult it can be.</p><p><strong>Solutions? Help?</strong></p><p>Well, now that we know there’s a problem—what’s the solution? Raising the minimum wage may help, and expanding affordable housing would certainly help. But those solutions take time, and I’m sure that some of you have this difficulty now. What are you doing to ease the burden of expensive rentals? How do <em>you</em> do it? Let me know! Let’s help one another now.</p><hr><p><span style="font-size: 11px;">Image via Shutterstock.com</span></p>