For many Oklahoman, finding an affordable and comfortable place to live is no easy task. This is especially so if you’re a single mom.
Not only do you have to make sure that the place you call home is safe for your little ones to grow and thrive, but you also want to be close to things like quality child care, education resources and healthcare facilities. For some, there’s also a need for having career development opportunities in the neighbourhood.
Sounds like mission impossible? Luckily, there are various resources in housing assistance for single mothers in Oklahoma available to someone like you. These programs are designed to help ease your burden and allow you to build a brighter future for both yourself and your family. So keep reading if you’re looking for a safe and affordable home in Oklahoma!
Rent Assistance
In this guide, we will mainly be listing two types of housing resources for single moms — rent assistance and mortgage assistance. The former is designed for those who are seeking to rent while the latter is for people who have already bought their own homes.
The Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) provides rental and utility cost assistance to tens of thousands of low-income families in the state. It does that through programs including the following:
Performance Based Contract Administration Program (PBCA)
OHFA provides rental assistance to nearly 13,000 families by serving as the contract administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s PBCA in Oklahoma.
The PBCA programs assistance are offered to eligible families based on financial needs. To participate, you must contact one of the properties under the program directly to apply and qualify for residence.
For more information and the list of properties, you can visit the OFHA website.
Housing Choice Voucher Program
This is another program offering rental assistance for Oklahoma families through the OFHA. Compared to PBCA, the program is more flexible in that it allows participants to choose any type of qualified unit within the Oklahoma City limits.
Single moms in Oklahoma may be eligible as individuals or a family if their gross annual income does not exceed HUD income guidelines and meet other eligibility requirements. For more information about the program, visit the website.
Salvation Army Rent Assistance
Unrelated to the OHFA, the Salvation Army of Central Oklahoma provides emergency cash assistance to needy families, including housing and utility assistance.
Eligible individuals will be given an appointment based on availability. For more information, visit its website or call 405-246-1100.
Mortgage Assistance
Oklahoma Homeowner Assistance Fund (OHAF)
OHAF was set up to offer financial assistance to homeowners who are struggling to make their mortgage payments because they have lost their job or saw their income reduced as a result of the pandemic. Its goal is to help prevent foreclosures and keep families in their homes.
One advantage of this program is the flexibility in how funds can be used to address various housing-related needs. For example, they can be used for mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowners’ insurance and utilities, etc.
Community Action Agency of Oklahoma City
Single moms in Oklahoma can also seek cash assistance for mortgage payment or rents from the Community Action Agency of Oklahoma City. The agency currently receives funding from FEMA and the United Way to assist with low income households.
Qualified families have to meet the following requirements:
- Family income at or below 200% of Federal Poverty Level
- Late note from the landlord or mortgage statement showing payments are behind
- A documented emergency that took the rent/mortgage money, and that emergency must be at least $1 more than the rent/mortgage payment.
- Must show that you can pay next month’s rent/mortgage payment
- Must have already moved into the home/apartment, including all move-in costs and deposits.
- Must live in Oklahoma or Canadian counties
- Section 8 or public housing recipients cannot qualify
You can visit their website for more information.
Homeless and Special Assistance
Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
ESG is a component of the Continuum of Care system in Oklahoma, providing homeless individuals and families with emergency shelters, supportive services, and housing assistance.
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce distributes grants to nonprofits and community service providers who provide services directly to those who are about to lose their housing and those who are literally homeless. The funded organizations then will assist with rent payments, utility bills and provide legal assistance if needed.
To locate the community service provider closest to you, click on the ESG map.
Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
We understand that raising children on your own can be incredibly tough. After taking care of the essential living costs such as rent, energy bills and child care costs, there’s often little left in the budget to afford a quality smartphone and reliable Wi-Fi services, which are important for your career development.
But here’s the exciting part – we have some fantastic news for you! If you qualify for some of the above programs, there’s a good chance that you are also eligible for Lifeline and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), two federal programs that aim to make mobile phone and internet services affordable to low-income American families.
These two programs assess eligibility based on either household income or your participation in some other government assistance program. For example, you will be automatically eligible for Lifeline if you are participating in programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Federal Public Housing Assistance and Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
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Alternatively, you can visit one of our 30 stores in Oklahoma, where our service staff will help you with the application, including getting you through the complex National Verifier process to confirm your eligibility.
All we need is one of the following government-issued IDs as your identity proof:
- U.S. Driver License
- Certificate of U.S. Citizenship
- Certificate of Naturalization
- U.S. Passport
- U.S. Government, State or Tribal issued-ID
- U.S. Military ID cards
- Permanent Resident Cards
- Permanent Resident Alien Cards
Visit us for all your cell phone and wireless service needs today!
