***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, please visit our web page for Rent Assistance with Other Community Programs


    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. ARPA Emergency Rent Asst Program: Eviction/Non-Payment Notice is required. If your household gross annual income is under 65% Median Income (click here for income limits) and you are in need of rent, arrears with current property manager, security deposit, application fees or late fees; follow the steps in the ARPA Emergency Rent Assistance Program section below. 
    2. General Housing Assistance Funds: If your household does not meet the ARPA Emergency Rent Assistance Program criteria or you are in need of a service that can not be paid with ARPA funds, skip down to the bottom of this page for information about how to access our General Housing Assistance funds. 


    ARPA Emergency Rent Assistance Program

    [Please note: This program is ONLY OPEN TO HOUSEHOLDS CONTAINING AN INDIVIDUAL IN SERVICE WITH MULTNOMAH COUNTY INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES]

    *FUNDING STATUS UPDATE AS OF 12/14/23: We are currently ACCEPTING ARPA applications. 

    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 three 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. Household must have received a termination/eviction notice for non-payment of rent. (10-day non-payment notices will suffice)
    4. Household has not received housing assistance from Multnomah County IDD in the 6 months prior to the application date. 
    5. 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 2022. Income includes the current gross income of all household members. Refer to the ARPA Application below for income limit figures. 

    Eligible Expenses 

    • Current Rent   
      • Future Rent: NO LONGER ELIGIBLE. [updated 11/29/23]
      • No more then 2 months of subsidized rent may be approved per fiscal year (June 2023 - July 2024).
    • Rent Arrears (beginning July 2021)
    • Utilities paid to Landlord: utility amounts required to be paid to the property manager can be included in requested rent/rent arrears amount. (Example - water, sewer, garbage fees paid to the property manager)
    • Application (homeless applicants only)
    • Late Fees
    • Security Deposits
      • Available to homeless clients only. 
      • Limited to the value of one months rent. 
      • Cannot receive deposit and rent assistance for the same month.
    • Other Fees: Any pass-through legal fee, NSF (non-sufficient fund), or other fees charged by the property manager may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

    Amount of Financial Assistance and who can receive payment

    • Applicants can apply for up to one month of assistance plus late/utility fees for the month requested (utilities charged by property manager only) per application. [updated 11/29/23]
    • Deposit Assistance (for homeless households only) is limited to the value of one months rent. (Cannot receive deposit and rent for same month)
    • There is no maximum financial limit of assistance per household.
    • ARPA funding recipients may not receive more than 6 months of assistance per fiscal year (July 2023 - June 2024). 
    • 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.

    How to apply?

    1. Complete the ARPA Application Form. See download link below.
    2. Submit the following with the application:
      • Verification of the last 30 days income for all household members. 
      • Copy of Non-Payment Eviction Notice. 
      • Proof of Payment - Written verification of charges pertaining to the assistance being requested (Example – Rental Agreement, Rental Ledger, Non-Payment/Eviction Notice)
      • Copies of Photo ID for all adults. (Example – State Issued ID [expired ok], Passport, Immigration Card)
    3. Send the application and all attachments to iddhousingassistance@multco.us

    Response Time: If requested supporting documentation is not received within 30 days of the application date the request will be denied.

      ARPA Emergency Rent Assistance Application: 

      ARPA Emergency Rent Assistance Application (rev. 11.28.23) (4.04 MB)

      Eligibility Guide and Other Forms: The information above and additional details can be found on the ARPA Program Guidelines downloadable document below. 

      ARPA Program Guidelines (rev. 11.28.23) (83.5 KB)

      Declaration of Personal Income Form (723.34 KB)


      General Housing Assistance Program

      [This program is ONLY OPEN TO HOUSEHOLDS CONTAINING AN INDIVIDUAL IN SERVICE WITH MULTNOMAH COUNTY INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES]

      *FUNDING STATUS UPDATE AS OF 3/13/24: We are ACCEPTING General Housing Assistance Request forms on Wednesday from 8am-5pm. 

      The following are criteria to receive General Housing 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. 
        10. Response Time: If requested supporting documentation is not received within 30 days of the application date the request will be denied.

      Amount of financial assistance and who can receive the payments

      1. General Housing Assistance Funds: $1500 Maximum for the fiscal year (7/1/23-6/30/24). If ARPA funding was approved, these funds count towards the maximum a household can receive in General Housing Assistance funds. [Updated 7/11/23]
      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 for arrears and current month (Mobile home space rent included). Future rent due more then 30 days after application date is no longer eligible. [updated 11/29/23]
      • 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 - Eligibility Criteria is listed below:
      • Housing Plan - Clients in the process of seeking IDD residential placement would be considered to have a housing plan. All other applicant's must have determined the following:
        1. Long term housing has been identified.
        2. Move in date has been set and will occur by the end of the voucher period.
        3. A plan has been made to pay the deposit.
      • Exceptions can be made to the housing plan requirement for the approval of up to 7 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.
      • Exhaust Other Resources: Homeless shelters, natural supports and applicants own 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, please explain these risks on the request form.
        • 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 and program funding limits.

      How to apply?

      1. Complete the Housing Assistance Request Form. See download link below.
      2. Submit the following with the application:
        • Verification of the last 30 days income for all household members. 
        • Proof of Payment - Written verification of charges pertaining to the assistance being requested (Example – Rental Agreement, Rental Ledger, Non-Payment/Eviction Notice)
      3. Send the application and all attachments to iddhousingassistance@multco.us

      Housing Assistance Request Form:

      Housing Assistance Request Form (388.46 KB)

      Eligibility Guide: The information above and additional details can be found on the Housing Assistance Policies and Procedures downloadable document below. 

      Housing Assistance Policies & Procedures (95 KB)

      Housing Assistance Payment Process for Case Managers (16.25 KB)


        Grievance and Appeal Process


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