Short Term Rent Assistance Program

***PLEASE NOTE: THIS PROGRAM IS ONLY OPEN TO HOUSEHOLDS CONTAINING AN INDIVIDUAL IN SERVICE WITH MULTNOMAH COUNTY INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. THIS PROGRAM IS NOT OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC***

If you are seeking assistance and DO NOT have a household member enrolled in case management services with Mult. Co. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, or you have exhausted the assistance available through this program, refer to the resources listed here for assistance through other organizations. 

Short Term Rent Assistance Programs With Other Area Agencies

Call 211 or visit 211info.org for current rent assistance availability. 

IDD Short Term Rent Assistance Program

This program offers short term housing assistance to households with a member enrolled in case management services with Multnomah County Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

How do I access assistance? 

We have 2 pathways to accessing assistance. 

  1. If your household has been negatively affected by COVID 19 OR the household is participating in a "Qualified Program" (see list of programs below) refer to the COVID-19 Emergency Rent Assistance info below.
  2. If your household does not meet the COVID-19 Emergency Rent Assistance criteria or you are in need of a service that can not be paid for with our COVID funds, skip down to the bottom of this page for information about how to access our Non-COVID Housing Assistance funds. 

COVID-19 Emergency Rent Assistance  2022/2023 

Purpose: The American Rescue Plan (ARPA) COVID-19 Emergency Rent Assistance Program provides rent assistance to prevent households from experiencing evictions and homelessness due to financial strain compounded by the impacts of COVID-19.

Eligible Households

To be eligible for the program, households must meet all four of the below requirements. There is no citizenship requirement for these funds.

  1. At least one member of the household is enrolled in Mult. Co. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities services.
  2. Resident of Multnomah County
  3. Experienced one or more of the following negative economic impacts due to COVID-19 since April of 2020 or enrolled in one of the qualified programs listed under ‘D’ below:
    1. Experienced unemployment, underemployment, or reduced employment hours.
    2. One or more individuals within the household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness; OR, housing instability
    3. Experienced increased cost of living.
    4. Enrolled in a Qualified Program (see list of programs below)**
      • Children’s Health Insurance (CHIP)
      • Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)
      • Medicaid
      • National Housing Trust Fund (HTF), affordable housing programs only
      • Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), affordable housing programs only
      • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
      • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
      • Free & Reduced Price Lunch (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast (SBF)
      • Medicare Part D
      • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
      • Head Start and/or Early Head Start
      • WIC - Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children
      • Section 8 Vouchers
      • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP)
      • Pell Grants
  4. Household income at or below 65% of Area Median Income
  • Income is based on snapshot of current income at time of application, or the household’s total income for calendar year 2021. Income includes the current gross income of all household members. Refer to the ARPA Application below for income limit figures. 

Eligible Expenses 

  • Current or future rent payments (can request current month and up to 3 months of future rent payments, subsidized rent is eligible) Applicants can reapply for additional future months once all previously approved months have been paid. 
  • Rent arrears (beginning June 2021)
  • Application and Late fees
  • Security deposits

Amount & Frequency of Financial Assistance

  • There is no maximum financial limit of assistance per household.
  • An eligible household may receive up to 3 months of rent assistance with ARPA funds. Future rent payments may not exceed 3 months approval per application.  
  • Preference: Households under 40% AMI, are eligible to receive up to the maximum of 3 months of rent assistance available to all and will be eligible to re-apply for up to an additional 3 months of rent assistance after they have been approved for the original request.

Eligibility Guide: 

COVID-19 ARPA Program Guidelines FY 22-23 (76.5 KB)

How to apply? Complete the application form below, attach income verification and proof of payment (e. Rental Agreement) and send to iddhousingassistance@multco.us

COVID-19 ARPA Application Form (905.34 KB)

***10/17/22 UPDATE: Funds are currently available and we are accepting applications. 

Non-COVID Housing Assistance

The following are criteria to receive assistance and how we determine the level of assistance that can be provided. You may be denied assistance if the request does not meet the following criteria.  

    1. At least one member of the household is enrolled in Mult. Co. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
    2. Homeless or at risk of homelessness.
    3. Residence located in Multnomah County for which assistance is requested (there may be exceptions for extenuating circumstances).
    4. Applicant has a stable housing plan demonstrating the ability to maintain housing following the receipt of assistance.
    5. Budget demonstrates that the household has a current need for assistance.
      • Expenses incurred by immediate household members only will be evaluated when determining need for assistance.
    6. Necessity of expense causing the need for assistance: 
      • Only necessary/required expenses will be considered when determining the level of assistance to be received.
      • A reasonable attempt was made to avoid the circumstances leading to the need for assistance.
      • If funds are requested as a result of overdrawn accounts, lost or stolen money, a copy of bank statements, a police report, or other form of verification should be provided by the applicant. Assistance provided for this reason can only be provided once for each client. The applicant’s plan for stability needs to include a strategy for safekeeping money (e.g. direct deposit, automatic payment to landlord, representative payee).
      • An expense that is considered reasonable (per general industry standards). The following guidelines will be used to determine what can be considered when determining an assistance amount:
        1. Up to $150/month in combined cable and internet expenses
        2. Up to $80/month per phone line. Only one phone line per person can be included.  
        3. Receipts for large purchases (over $500) will need to be submitted to verify expense.
    7. Lifetime limit: There is a lifetime limit of 24 months of assistance for some funding streams.
    8. Moves: If the household is moving, the move must be necessary or required. Examples might include, but are not limited to:
      • The level of services the client needs increases or decreases
      • Safety issues requiring relocation
      • Overcrowding or rent amount in unsustainable
    9. Licensed Care Facility: Clients living in licensed care facilities may only apply for assistance to cover expenses related to their portion of the cost to live in the facility and are the specific responsibility of our client to pay. For example, room and board can be paid if the client is unable to cover these costs on a short-term basis. We do not cover the business costs related to the business at large, given the business is receiving service rates that are to be used to pay for housing costs, and the costs for the whole business at large are not the responsibility of our client in the home.

Amount of financial assistance and who can receive the payments

  1. NON-COVID FUNDS: $3000 Maximum for the fiscal year (7/1/22-6/30/23). If COVID funding was approved, these funds counts towards the maximum a household can receive in non-COVID funds. [Updated 7/1/22]
  2. Fiscal year starts July 1st and ends June 30th.
  3. Eligible applications are approved on a first come first served basis.  
  4. Waitlist: Applications will be accepted at any time and will be put on a waitlist for the following month if received after funds have been exhausted for the current month.
  5. All assistance is paid directly to the party to whom funds are owed, on behalf of the applicant. Assistance cannot be provided directly to the applicant or their family, or be used to reimburse the applicant for their expenses.

Income Limits

Annual gross income limits vary depending upon the funding source available at the time the assistance is paid. Click on the link below to view our Housing Assistance Policies and Procedures document for details regarding income limits. 

Eligible Expenses

  • Rent assistance / Mobile home space rent
  • Security deposits and move-in fees (only when a move is necessary or required).
  • Application Fees (CM/PA has determined that a unit is available for rental and a verbal screening has been completed with property manager. Maximum of 3 application fee payments)
  • Late Rent Fee
  • Debt to a past landlord or utility (cannot be with Home Forward. Must be the final barrier to obtaining permanent/stable housing.)
  • Mortgage Assistance
  • Utility Assistance  (must provide notice indicating account is at past due and written in lease that tenant is responsible for payment of utilities)
  • Small allocation of funding for non-leasing expenses (extra conditions apply):

[Update as of 12/12/19: Due to the increased need for assistance in the IDD community, non-leasing expenses are not available for funding unless there is a direct and imminent risk of homelessness associated with the need for assistance.]

  • Conversion costs for making a unit ADA Accessible
  • Storage for up to 2 months for clients who are between units and would otherwise lose their belongings
  • Moving Expenses
  • Cleaning a unit and removing debris (“a muck out”), if the client will otherwise be evicted
  • Identification, Social Security card, and/or birth certificate if required for housing
  • Expenses that promote housing stability for assisted households

  • Motel Vouchers
  • Housing Plan - Applicant’s must have long term housing identified, a move in date set and a plan to pay deposits, which will occur by the end of the voucher period.
    • Exceptions can be made to the housing plan requirement for the approval of up to 14 nights of motel vouchers if the applicant is in imminent danger due to domestic violence or other type of imminent threat and shelters/natural resources are not a viable housing resource.
  • Homeless shelters and natural support - resources must be exhausted prior to the request for motel vouchers.
  • If the applicant’s health and/or safety would be at risk if housed in an alternative housing arrangement, such as a shelter, the SC/PA must document these risks in their request for vouchers.
      • Shelter information is available by calling 211.
      • If the household refuses to stay in an appropriate shelter or emergency housing alternative, and health/safety issues do not preclude this as a viable resource, the household is ineligible for motel vouchers.
  • Eligible motels – we are required to use motels that contract with Home Forward’s Voucher Program.
  • 7 nights is the maximum that will be authorized at one time.
      • Renewal for additional weeks will be dependent upon progress made toward obtaining permanent housing.

Eligibility Guide: 

Please refer to the attached guide for all eligibility criteria, tips for how to complete the request form and the process for requesting assistance.

Housing Assistance Policies & Procedures FY 22-23 (rev-2.2.23) (93.5 KB)

How to apply? Complete the request form below, attach proof of payment (ex. Rental Agreement) and send to iddhousingassistance@multco.us

Housing Assistance Request Form (388.46 KB)

Housing Assistance Payment Process for Case Managers (16.25 KB)

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