This page suggests resources on the following housing topics: housing counseling, housing assistance including rent and utilities, homeless facilities, housing search, roommate search, landlord issues, and home ownership issues. Most of the references will serve both Chatham and Wake County, although a few are location-specific.
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) site provides an index to approved counseling offices for all aspects of housing, including purchasing a home, foreclosure, reverse mortgages, rental, etc.
Wake Network of Care "Find Housing Assistance" provides links to organizations that will assist with all aspects of public and private housing, as well as rent and utility assistance.
House Wake! provides assistance for housing relief needed because of COVID-19. It also provides links to a number of other services, both internal and external.
Wake County Energy Assistance Program provides help for heating, cooling and water. Some of the programs are seasonal. Application is through the ePass program.
North Carolina Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is a federally-funded program that provides for a one-time vendor payment to help eligible households pay their heating bills.
(Wake County): Cornerstone Center for Housing Information and Referrals. This is a multi-service facility that provides a number of services and referrals.
Oak City Cares
(Chatham County): Chatham County NC Homeless Shelters is an umbrella organization coordinating the efforts of organizations that serve the homeless. For assistance, email help@chathamhomeless.org or call 919-726-9976.
NCHousingSearch.org: A free housing locator service available to consumers looking for affordable rental housing.
SocialServe.com: A website that allows you to search for listings of apartments, mobile homes, duplexes and single-family units. This includes Section 8 properties and assisted living facilities, as well as market-rate housing.
Section 8 Housing:
Section 8 vouchers for subsidized housing can be hard to get. Very few are awarded each year. For more information in Wake County, start here to see which assisted housing programs are available. For more information in Chatham County, see the Chatham County Housing Authority.
If you have a Section 8 voucher and are having a difficult time locating housing, check out GoSection8.com, which provides a list of properties that will accept Section 8. This website will also provide other information such as which properties are currently available and also has a wait list that you can put your name on and receive text, phone or email updates.
City of Raleigh Rental Housing: If you live in Wake County and make less than 50% of the area median income, you may qualify for housing with the City of Raleigh. They offer a variety of houses and apartments at affordable rental rates.
Affordable Housing Online: This site provides lists of affordable apartments and various housing supplement plans. It also includes information about the section 8 housing wait list in the area searched.
HUD Subsidized Housing List: HUD provides a list of apartments based on 30% of income for families and individuals with very limited income.
Senior Housing:
If you are a senior citizen looking for an independent living option, visit the North Carolina Health & Human Services' elder housing locator.
Town of Cary Affordable Senior Housing: Provides a list of tax credit, subsidized and senior properties available in the Town of Cary.
There are many websites for finding an apartment or house in the Triangle area. Some of them are provided by realtors who also list rentals, and some are strictly rental listings. Start by doing a Google search for "Rental agencies in Wake County NC" to see a complete listing. Be sure to check websites for finding fees, deposit amounts, application fees, utility fees, etc.
There are several roommate websites. These sites allow you to search by area, rental amount, pets allowed, male or female preferred, etc. Some charge a fee and others don’t. Some prescreen and others don’t. Be very cautious in your search. Before starting your search, read the article “The 9 Best Roommate Finders on the Web”. Then, use these websites listed in the article or the ones below to search.
Each state has a list of Tenant/Renter's Rights and Responsibilities. The Housing and Urban Development web site provides helpful information state-by-state. Check Local Tenant Rights, Laws, and Protections: North Carolina
Sign up here for a free clinic about tenants' rights, sponsored by Legal Aid. You will also find information on North Carolina Law Help or at this legal web site.
For the City of Raleigh, also see read the Tenants Rights and Obligations handbook.
Legal assistance:
There are attorneys that handle tenant law and you may need to follow that route. If so, the best way to find an appropriate attorney is to contact the North Carolina Bar and ask for a referral to several attorneys that specialize in tenants rights. North Carolina Lawyer Referral Service (919-677-8574 or 800-662-7660) or ncfindalawyer.org. Upon receiving a description of your legal concerns, NCLRS will provide you with the name and telephone number of a lawyer you may contact. If you use the LRS, it will cost you $50 for an initial 30-minute consultation with the attorney. The attorney will discuss fees beyond the initial consultation.
You can also try North Carolina Legal Aid. They may be able to provide an attorney willing to work on your case pro bono (no fee).
Assistance with Purchasing a Home
If you are interested in buying a home and are considered low income you can go to FannieMae.com or do a Google search for "Self-Help Credit Union for low-income programs and help for purchasing a home".
Habitat for Humanity builds and sells homes to those who meet their criteria for need. The down payment is made by the purchaser's "sweat equity." For more information or to apply:
Preventing Foreclosure
Refinancing a mortgage is not likely to be an option if you are unemployed.
The North Carolina Housing Coalition describes foreclosure prevention assistance available, including the NC Foreclosure Prevention Fund. This fund helps North Carolina homeowners who are struggling due to job loss or temporary unemployment, reduction of income, or temporary financial hardship, such as divorce, health or illness, the death of a spouse or a natural disaster with home mortgage payments. The Fund also provides counseling and assistance to returning military veterans who are transitioning to civilian jobs. A counselor may be found by clicking on their map.
This article from the consumer department of the Federal Trade Commission also discusses alternatives and sources of help.