Finding Affordable Rental Housing in NC
Connect with a Housing Navigator
Call 1-877-428-8844 to connect with a Housing Navigator that can assist you in finding affordable rental properties (the navigators use NCHousingSearch.org)
Search Statewide Online Databases
- NCHousingSearch.org is a free housing locator service available to people looking for affordable rental housing
- USDA Housing Rentals is an affordable housing database with rentals run by the USDA. The USDA subsidizes elderly or family apartment complexes in many rural communities. The properties are serviced by approved management agencies and eligible renters pay 30% of household income.
- HUD Affordable Housing Locator provides a list of subsidized housing for families and individuals with low income. HUD subsidizes privately owned housing and renters pay 30% of their household income for housing costs.
Visit your local Public Housing Authority
Contact your local Public Housing Authority for information about public housing options in your area, including getting on waitlists for subsidized housing and Section 8 Voucher. They also maintain lists of local properties that accept Section 8 vouchers.
Find Regional Resources
Contact your local Community Action Agency (CAAs) and ask about support with housing. CAAs have different programs but some have housing navigation and counseling, financial support for housing, etc.
Ask if your Managed Care Organization (MCO) has a Housing Coordinator
- Certain MCO’s (the entity that organizes regional behavioral healthcare) hire Housing Coordinators to support members in finding housing in the community.
- Call your MCO to be connected with Housing Coordinators
- Phone numbers for Partners MCO Housing Coordinators by county
Crisis Housing Options
Contact your local Coordinated Entry Hotline or “first point of contact” for your county
- Coordinated Entry is a “one stop shop” where individuals and families experiencing a housing crisis get access to coordinated community services, like emergency shelters and local temporary housing programs.
- Look at both the NCDHHS database and NCCEH database to find the most current phone numbers for coordinated entry and first point of contacts
If your county does not have a Coordinated Entry Hotline or first point of contact, contact 211 for housing resources
Paying Rent
- Call 211 to talk to a person who will help you access local resources, or search 211 Online Resource Database
- Call your local DSS office to see if they might have any funds available to support with housing costs like rent or security deposits
- Fill out NC Care 360 Assistance Request Form and a resource navigator will contact you soon after to support finding local resources for your specific situation.
- Contact your local Community Action Agency (CAAs) and ask about support with housing. CAAs have different programs but some have housing navigation and counseling, financial support for housing, etc.
- Ask local Habitat, Salvation Army, and other local non-profits or churches if they have emergency funds for housing for people in need
Housing for Unique Groups
Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and severe persistent mental illness (SPMI)
- The Arc of North Carolina is a leader in the state in providing housing options to North Carolinians with disabilities, those with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as mental illness. They have a Search Tool for housing for this population.
- DHHS has some partnerships and programs for housing for people with disabilities
Recovery from Substance Use
Oxford Houses are rented family houses where groups of recovering individuals rent to live together in an environment supportive of recovery from addiction. Each house is self-run and self-supported. Find a Directory of Oxford Houses here.
Seniors
The Division of Aging and Adult Services has a Home Improvement Assistance program for seniors. Housing and home improvement services are offered by local service providers supported by the Home and Community Care Block Grant. Click on the Housing and Home Improvement Provider List
Community Tenants Rights Organizations
Connect with community groups around tenants’ rights to ask questions and build power
Homebuyer & Homeowner Assistance
Talk with a local Housing Counselor at a community agency near you- Housing counselors support homebuyers, homeowners, and others as they strive to secure safe and stable housing.
- Search NC Housing Coalition’s database of organizations with counselors
- Search HUD’s database of NC Housing Counseling organizations
Contact the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, which offers affordable home ownership options for first-time home buyers in North Carolina.
- The NC Home Advantage Mortgage™ offers down payment assistance up to 5% of the loan amount for first-time and move-up buyers.
- NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment offers an $8,000 down payment assistance option for eligible first-time buyers and military veterans.
- NC Home Advantage Tax Credit saves up to $2,000 in federal taxes each year for buyers who apply and are approved for a Mortgage Credit Certificate prior to their home purchase.
Apply for Homeowner Assistance Funds
- NC Homeowner Assistance Fund is for homeowners whose finances were impacted by the pandemic and who need assistance with housing-related expenses
- Find Regional Assistance Programs
- Bladen, Brunswick, Cartaret, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Edgecombe, Jones, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Robeson, Scotland, and Wayne counties
- Homeownership Assistance Program provides down payment and closing costs assistance to first time and first-generation homebuyers for the purchase of a home within 16 counties Most Impacted by Hurricanes
- Bladen, Brunswick, Cartaret, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Edgecombe, Jones, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Robeson, Scotland, and Wayne counties
Disclaimer: This list was created September 2023. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list of housing resources in NC. Instead, it is meant to guide someone to some in their initial search for housing resources.