The Basics

There are many federal and state housing programs that help people who are disabled, young, elderly, pregnant, or have low income.

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program (often referred to simply as "Section 8") and Public Housing are among the many federally-funded housing programs that are run by local housing agencies, while Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA) Housing Assistance and Housing Support (formerly Group Residential Housing) are among the many state-funded programs that help people with disabilities pay for housing costs in both group and community living situations. Minnesota also has state housing programs for people living with HIV/AIDS and for people living with serious mental illness, including those who are transitioning from hospital or inpatient settings back into the community.

This section explains how the different housing programs work and how you can apply for them. It describes the eligibility rules for each program and discusses how they interact with one another. It also introduces cash benefits programs that can help you pay for housing costs and programs that can help if you find yourself in danger of losing your housing.

Learn more about housing benefits on Housing Benefits 101.