Solo Mother

Hey, single mom! Where do you go for help?

by christina on December 26th, 2006

Rent in DC is insane. I don’t see how people can make ends meet. I certainly can’t! So this week, I’m off to the hallowed halls of the DC Government to see what kind of help I can qualify for, and start there. Yes, obviously, I’d prefer to have a job that covers my expenses AND allows me to save. I’m not holding my breath. I had a great, long-term temp assignment that thankfully paid enough to save up, so I’ll be able to pay the rent and utilities come January 1 without having to borrow money from my folks! But I have no cushion beyond that. It’s scary. It’s amazing I got through Chirstmas and was able to get a little something for my immediate family. And oh how people made sure Nico had a Christmas he’ll never forget.

The Library of Congress website offers a list of state agencies. Look at the social services section to get an idea of what kind of aid is available to you. Much of this aid is based on income, so be sure you can prove how much you do — or do not — make. Ironically, it seems much harder to get help if you have NO income. Go figure.

Let’s start with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), run  by the Department of Health and Human Services. In 1997, TANF replaced what we’d all called ‘welfare’. TANF provides work opportunities and other assistance by utilizing federal grant monies at the state level. The states are given wide flexibility in how to use these funds, there’s not some general guidelines I can post up here for all to see. Do a search for TANF on your local government website.

If you are looking for help with food stamps, welfare, or other basic needs, I’ll see if I can make it a bit more simple. Go straight to the United States Department of Agriculture’s food stamp website for applications and information. There are other websites that offer info about foodstamp programs and the chance to ‘win’ $250 grocery cards, but the catch is, you have to sign up for their promotional offers, and that costs money. The USDA site offers a pre-screening tool to help determine eligibility.

What about housing? Call your local Department of Housing and Community Development, or whatever your municipality is calling it these days, and see if they have a homesteading program. Often, the city or local government will offer abandonned properties for very little money to first-time home owners in exchange for a few promises: fix the house up, stay in it and maintain it as a primary residence for a number of years. Some wild success stories include buying a home for as little as $250! But be sure you either have the credit for a home loan, or have enough saved to do the improvements. Some places are shells, some just need a little TLC. If you’re handy, this might be something to think about.

Your local government should offer affordable housing to qualified residents. You’re going to have to do some digging to figure out what those qualifications are, but dig.

Another general piece of advice I have is, fix your credit. There are several great programs out there for first time home owners to purchase and fix up their homes. But you can’t get anywhere if you don’t get your gold star, first. You are entitled to one free credit report per year, and I recommend you take advantage of it.

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POSTED IN: Selp-help, assistance, credit, debt, housing