Missouri Housing has already awarded more than $78 million to help renters adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

How to Qualify

Who is eligible?
Eligibility is based on your income, where you live, and whether you have experienced financial hardship related to COVID-19.
1. You must be a resident of the State of Missouri and be renting your primary residence.
2. Household income cannot exceed 80% of the area median. This is determined by HUD guidelines and is based on what county you live in and how many people are in your household.

On the application, you will select whether your household incomes falls in the 30%- 50% area median or the 50% - 80% area median. Click here to find Missouri’s income limits.
3. At least one household member must have qualified for unemployment benefits or experienced financial hardship because of the COVID pandemic. Contracting COVID is not a requirement to be eligible for assistance, but a household member must have experienced a job loss or reduced hours or incurred significant costs related to the pandemic.
4. Applicants with household incomes below 50% of area median and those with a household member who has been unemployed for 90 days or longer will receive priority when processing applications.

How do I apply?
1. Go to the application portal and open an account.
2. Complete the TENANT section of the application.
3. If you’re applying for past due rent assistance, your landlord will need to add more information.
4. Submit the application when it is complete.

If tenant is requesting future rent, landlord must agree not to evict the tenant during the time they are receiving assistance.

If more past due rent is owed than the program awards, the landlord must agree not to evict for the remaining past due amount and must agree to enter into a repayment plan with the tenant.

Requests for assistance with past due utility bills may take several weeks to process.

FAQ

How do I find out about the status of my application?
Allow 14 days for the processing of your application. If you haven’t received notification, call 1-833-541-1599 or email mo.safhr.application@mhdc.com.

I’ve submitted my application. How long will it take to find out if I’m approved?
It takes a minimum of 14 days for your application to be reviewed after you’ve submitted it. If any corrections are needed, you will be notified and have 10 days to respond. It generally takes two to three weeks for the corrected application to be approved. You will be notified when that happens.

I’ve already received assistance, can I apply for more?
You can apply again, but you can’t receive more than a total of 12 months of assistance, and you can’t apply for months in which you’ve already received assistance from this program or any other one.

I’m still being charged late fees by my landlord even though I have applied for assistance. What can I do?
The program does not give legal advice. You can contact one of the legal service agencies listed here.

How do I know if my application has been approved?
You will be notified via email once your application has been approved or denied.

How do I get more information?
You can call 1-833-541-1599 or email mo.safhr.application@mhdc.com.