How to Apply for HUD as a Homeless Person

In 2009, President Obama signed the Homeless Emergency and Rapid Transition to Housing Act. HEARTH helps homeless people find safe, adequate housing through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Community outreach to encourage and educate homeless people about the services available to them is vital. Connecting homeless individuals and families with homeless assistance programs is a challenge. Homeless people must find their local HUD office, which requires accessing an online directory of local HUD offices. However, homeless people do not typically have access to the Internet, which makes finding a HUD office very difficult.

Things You'll Need

• Personal identification

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Instructions

Connecting with Services

• 1

  Find your local HUD office. If you have access to the Internet, see the directory of local HUD offices online. Refer to the "Resources" section for the Local Office Directory. Or call 202-708-1112.

• 2

  Apply for homeless assistance by filling out an application at your local HUD office. HUD will match you with a homeless assistance program. Some of the programs available include the Shelter Plus Care Program, which "provides rental assistance for hard-to-serve homeless persons with disabilities;" The Single Room Occupancy Program; and the Supportive Housing Program, which encourages the homeless "to live as independently as possible" through local community care resources.

• 3

  Provide the necessary documents that HUD requires, such as a state-issued identification card, driver's license or a social security card. If you do not have identification, go to your local social security office and apply for a duplicate card, or go to your local Department of Motor Vehicles office and get an identification card.