Rent and Emergency Assistance
MSC provides one-time rent assistance and limited resources for temporary emergencies such as utility bill assistance to individuals and families living within the city limits of Auburn, Burien, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, and SeaTac. Limited funds are available for assistance and all eligibility requirements must be met.
Required Information and Documents
- Exact address of current housing and current contact information
- Current income verification for all household members 18+
- Current rental lease (all pages) and ledger from landlord for rent assistance
- Copy of utility bill needing assistance OR a copy of current rental lease and ledger if utilities are owed to landlord.
- Verification of emergency and resolution plan
- For move-in assistance, must provide approval letter from landlord.
You must attend an in-person or phone appointment and provide all documents prior to or at meeting. Assistance is not guaranteed until all documents are received and eligibility confirmed. Clients who do not submit their documents on time will be required to reapply. Funds available are limited. You may call anytime for a recorded message of the most recent updated information on funding availability. You may only receive one-time assistance.
How to Apply for Assistance
Call 253-893-0024 on the first Tuesday of month between 9 a.m. to noon. Funds are limited. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of phone calls, you may receive a busy signal. Please keep trying to get through.
OR
Complete an online application via the links below. Funding is limited and we can only accept a small number of applications each month. Generally, applications open on the first of the month at 7am. Once we have reached capacity the application will close and you will see a message on the application page stating when it will reopen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does MSC only accept applications or calls at certain times?
MSC can only help a limited number of people each month. To give everyone equal access, we open applications all at once for the month. We cannot accept walk-ins.
What are the qualifiers for emergency utility assistance?
You must live within city limits for the application you are completing. Your income level must also be under 50% AMI. As of May 2023, monthly income limits are:
- 1 Person Household – $3,996
- 2 Person Household – $4,567
- 3 Person Household – $5,138
- 4 Person Household – $5,708
- 5 Person Household – $6,167
- 6 Person Household – $6,625
- 7 Person Household – $7,079
- 8 Person Household – $7,538
What information will I need to provide on the online application?
You can see a sample of the application questions by clicking on this link Rent Assistance Application – SAMPLE. Depending on your selections on the application, all or some of these questions may appear. This is only a sample application and cannot be used to apply for assistance.
What if I can’t apply at that the time applications or phone lines are open?
You may have someone else assist you with completing an online application. That person will need to know your contact information, your rent amount and your current income. They will also need to be able to provide a good time for us to contact you.
How do I qualify?
You must have a verifiable emergency that prevented you from meeting your own need (car repair, unpaid sick leave). You must demonstrate that you can pay your rent or utilities on your own the following month or that the need will go away. Most of our funding requires that your income equals twice your rent. You must live within the city limits for the application you complete.
What if I called tried to apply but applications were full for the month?
As soon as the applications are full, we can no longer accept applications. We are only able to assist a limited number of households per month. Because of the growing need for assistance and our limited funding, we cannot help everyone who needs assistance. We are unable to assist 85% or more of those seeking assistance.
What can I do if I cannot get help from MSC?
We suggest you call the Community Information Line at 2-1-1 to find out if additional resources are available in your area.