Housing & Utilities
HOUSING
Click here for information and resources for housing assistance in Minnesota.
Affordable Apartment Search
Use this search tool, run by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, to find affordable apartments in your area.
Bridging, Inc.
952-888-1105
Bridging Inc. provides families with a one-time gift of quality furniture and household items. A person must be referred by a Bridging referral agency in order to be determined eligible for the furniture and household items. Click here to look up a Bridging referral agency near you or for more information call 952-888-1105.
CommonBond Communities
651-291-1750
Minnesota’s largest nonprofit provider of affordable housing. CommonBond has more than 100 communities serving more than 9,000 people who live in 5,500 apartments and townhomes. They offer family, senior, and special needs housing. To find rental housing through CommonBond, click here.
Emergency Housing Assistance Resource List (metro area)
This list of emergency housing assistance was compiled by Project for Pride in Living. It lists contact information and qualifications for several emergency housing assistance programs in the metro area.
Housing Link
612-522-2500
A non-profit organization focused on providing information about affordable rental housing options in the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area. Resources include overviews of housing programs and terminology, weekly lists of vacancies, Section 8 Voucher information, directories of housing, and a vacancy-locating service. If you live outside the seven-county metro area, you can visit MinnesotaHelp.info for information on affordable housing resources in your community.
Housing Benefits 101
Disability Hub MN™ is available to answer your questions about housing, services and resources in the community. They can be reached at 1-866-333-2466
The Jeremiah Program uses a proven, holistic model to help two generations climb out of poverty by supporting both the mother and children with education, a safe place to live, job skills, and more.
Minnesota Home Ownership Center
866-462-6466 or 651-659-9336
This organization offers mortgage counseling, credit repair, mortgage refinance information and many other helpful and preventative measures that can be taken to prevent foreclosure.
Minnesota Housing Finance Agency
Minnesota Housing Finance Agency collaborates with individuals, communities and partners to create, preserve and finance affordable housing.
Minnesota Multi Housing Association Renters’ Hotline
952-854-8500
The Minnesota Multi Housing Association (MHA) has established a special hotline phone number for renters to find answers to common questions on subjects such as security deposits, leases, Certificates of Rent Paid, evictions, repairs and maintenance, cleaning, and giving notice to vacate. Click here for a list of commonly asked questions and answers on the website.
HOUSING - YOUTH
The Arlington House provides short term emergency shelter care and counseling services for youth 11-17 years old.
Children's Law Center of Minnesota
Children's Law Center of Minnesota provides a list of emergency and transitional housing. This list includes options for housing resources while focusing on the following populations: youth, Native Americans, LGBTQ youth, single moms, survivors of domestic violence and prostitution, etc.
YouthLink has over 40 years of experience connecting young people with a community of resources and support. Whether it's basic needs, like a hot shower or a warm meal, assistance with employment or educational goals, accessing mental and physical health resources, or finding supportive housing, they can help young people at all stages of their journey. YouthLink is also the host site for the Youth Opportunity Center (YOC). The YOC is a unique collaborative model, bringing together a variety of organizations and agencies that provide resources young people experiencing homelessness may need-all in one location. YouthLink's one-stop-shop model helps deliver life-changing resources more effectively for the young people they work with.
The Youth Services Network website was designed to help youth find shelter and services. It is user friendly and all the information is updated at real time. This website is accessible on any smartphone so you can use it like a phone app. You can search for shelter beds, outreach workers, drop-in centers, food, medical needs, basic needs, and parenting programs. They also have a 24-hour crisis line run by The Bridge for Youth - 612-377-8800.
UTILITIES
PCs for People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit striving to bridge the digital divide by providing the necessary tools to put a functional computer into the hands of low-income individuals and get them online. With offices in St. Paul, Mankato, Grand Rapids and Brainerd, PCs for People is working statewide to make low cost computers, internet service, and computer repairs available to those who need them most. Call 651-354-2552, email info@pcsforpeople.com, or visit the PCs for People website for more information.
HeatShare
1-800-842-7279
HeatShare is a program of The Salvation Army that has been in existence since 1982. HeatShare provides energy assistance on a year-round basis. Funds are used for natural gas, fuel oil, propane, electricity, and furnace checkup and repairs. To find your local HeatShare service area click here.
Lifeline/Link-Up
The Link-Up program provides a discount on new service connection charges when installing new telephone service. The federal Lifeline and state Telephone Assistance Plan programs provide a monthly discount on your local telephone service, including one wireline or wireless phone per household. If you live on federally-recognized tribal lands, you may qualify for additional discounts. To qualify for these programs, telephone service must be in your name and you must have income at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines or participate in qualifying public programs.
Minnesota Energy Resources
Minnesota Energy Resources is full of useful information regarding energy efficiency and heating assistance programs provided by the federal and state government, private industry, non profits and our energy utilities.
Weatherization Assistance Program
1-800-657-3710
The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) uses energy conservation techniques to reduce the cost of home energy. Correcting health and safety hazards and potentially life-threatening conditions is the first consideration in WAP activities. Households who are at or below 50 percent of the state median income are eligible. All homeowners and renters who are income eligible for Energy Assistance are income eligible for WAP. Priority is given to households with at least one elderly or disabled member and to customers with the highest heating costs.
Low-cost Internet Services
Comcast and CenturyLink now offer low-cost internet services plan for $9.95 plus tax per month for low-income families. To be eligible for Comcast’s Internet Essentials low-cost plan, you must have at least one child on the School Meal Program, be on a HUD housing assistance program, be a low-income verified veteran, or a low-income senior. To be eligible for CenturyLink’s low-cost plan, at least one household member must be on the School Meal Program or at least one of the qualifying work support programs. Other restrictions may apply. To find out more information or to get the application for this service click here for Comcast Internet Essentials or click here for CenturyLink LifeLine program. Or call Comcast at 1-855-846-8376 and CenturyLink at 1-855-654-6546.