Housing and Utility Assistance

When will I hear back from staff?
Staff will be in contact within 7 business days from the date your application was submitted — usually within 2–3 business days. This can vary depending on application volume and staffing.

I have submitted an application. What do I need to do now? IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!
For rental assistance, you’ll need to speak with your landlord or property manager and request the documents listed below. An email template is available for you to use when reaching out.

Before we can make a decision on your application, we need to review:

• A copy of your lease agreement. If there is no formal written agreement, let staff know so we can guide you — usually the landlord will write a letter or fill out a form instead.
• Documentation of the current past-due balance (a copy of the ledger). It must show the current month, and payments made in the last three months.

Please work on gathering these documents (digitally preferred). Once your application is assigned to one of the two staff persons on this team, they will provide you with the email to send the documents to.

If you are approved for assistance, before we can release any funds:

• Your landlord will need to provide a W-9 and payee information (who we make the check out to).

*See email template below to request these documents from your landlord or property manager.

When will I know if you are going to assist me?
Once we have a copy of your lease and a current ledger, staff will review your application, follow up with any questions, and let you know whether you meet the criteria. Note that your landlord/property manager must also agree to accept payment and provide a W-9 in order for us to pay.

What does the $4,000 maximum balance mean?
You can’t be approved if you owe more than $4,000 in rent. This is an eligibility limit, not the amount we will pay. Our help is partial, and we usually cover less than $4,000.

If you owe more than $4,000, you can lower your balance in any of these ways:

• Pay down your balance to $4,000 or less.
• Set up a payment arrangement and make your payments.
• Get help from another organization. If another organization has pledged to help you, we must either see that payment on your ledger or receive a pledge confirmation from that organization.

You must also show that you can pay rent going forward, or that you have paid rent in the last three months.

Do I need to be paying rent to qualify?
Yes. You must either have paid rent in the last three months or be able to make a payment this month. This program is meant for short-term needs, so we need to see that you are able to keep paying rent.

Note: making a payment does not automatically qualify you. It is only one part of the eligibility criteria.

How much can you assist me with?
We assist with past-due balances only. The amount varies depending on your rent — generally up to $200–$800 for subsidized/reduced rent, and up to $1,500–$2,000 for market-rate rent. These figures are meant to give you an idea; if you do not owe that amount, we will not pay towards future months’ rent. Assistance amounts also depend on available funding and are subject to change.

Can I or should I apply to other financial assistance programs?
Yes — please apply to other rental assistance programs as well. We are usually not able to clear a household’s full balance, so we encourage you to reach out to other programs too. If you have a Seattle City Light or Puget Sound Energy bill, apply for their discount programs to save on those bills each month. We also encourage you to apply for their emergency bill assistance programs if you have a due balance.

Once I submit a lease and ledger, will I be approved?
Submitting these documents is part of the application process, but we cannot guarantee assistance. In many cases we cannot cover the full balance, so your landlord/property manager must be willing to accept a partial payment or agree to a reasonable repayment plan.

Why do I need to have income to apply?
This assistance is meant to help stabilize a household after an unexpected expense or emergency. You’ll need to demonstrate that you’ll be able to sustain your rent going forward in order for us to assist you. This can be through employment or cash benefits

Email Template
Everything below can be selected and copied directly into a new email. Just fill in the bracketed [ ] information before sending.

The Application Process
If you are eligible to apply, a volunteer will take your application. Staff will then call to review it and ask any follow-up questions. Below are FAQs and more information about the process once an application is submitted.

Submitting an application does not guarantee approval for assistance.

When will I hear back from staff?
Staff will be in contact within 7 business days from the date your application was submitted — usually within 2–3 business days. This can vary depending on application volume and staffing.

What do I need to do now that I have submitted an application?
If you did not have your account number at the time of application, please make sure to have that ready for staff.

You should also have a copy of your bill to demonstrate that you are enrolled in the utility discount program. If you are not currently enrolled in the utility discount program and have not applied for the emergency bill assistance programs, please apply. If you need assistance with this process or would like to schedule an appointment to complete the application, please reach out to our Community Connector, Emma Smith at: 206-717-7376 or emma@westseattlefoodbank.org.

You can apply online at the link below or by email/mail. You will need to provide photo ID and income verification of all adults in your household, along with a completed and signed application to be considered for the Seattle City Light & Seattle Public Utility discount and assistance programs.

https://utilityassistance.seattle.gov/uap/public/landing

https://www.pse.com/en/account-and-billing/assistance-programs/HELP

If you have not already reached out to your provider for emergency assistance, please call or look online to see what emergency or bill assistance your utility provider has available. We will ask you to apply for these programs and exhaust this funding before we provide an assistance pledge since these programs can cover more than we can.

What if my utilities were already shut off?
Please notify us immediately if your services have been cut and the amount needed to restore services.

What if I already received assistance from my utility provider and still need assistance?
If you have already received a pledge from Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utility or Puget Sound Energy and exhausted their funding for the year, please let us know and provide us with a copy of the pledge letter from the utility company.

When will I know if you are going to assist me?
Once we have a copy of your bill or access to your utility account, staff will review your application, follow up with any questions, and let you know whether you meet the criteria.

How much can you assist me with?
We assist with past-due balances only. The amount varies depending on your household composition— up to $500 for an adult-only household and $750 for households with children present. Assistance amounts also depend on available funding and are subject to change.

I have submitted a move-in deposit application. What do I need to do now?
Please ask the property manager or landlord for a quote or invoice stating your total move-in cost — we’ll need this to pledge any assistance. We need a digital copy.

If you’re not comfortable telling them right away that you’ll need assistance, you can simply ask for an invoice of the move-in cost without mentioning it yet. Eventually, though, they will need to know you’re receiving assistance, since they’ll have to work with us directly if you’re approved. Most places don’t mind this.

Once we’ve confirmed you qualify, we’ll issue a pledge. Once the lease is signed, we’ll send payment.

What should I do before I sign the lease?
Read your lease carefully — it’s important to know what you’ll be charged. A few things to check before signing:

• Affordability — add up rent plus utilities, parking, pet fees, and any other recurring costs, and make sure the total is something you can reasonably afford alongside your other expenses.
• Security deposit payment plan — in the City of Seattle, you have the right to pay your move-in costs and last month’s rent in installment payments., but this must be agreed to before you sign the lease. Ask for it in writing. https://www.seattle.gov/rentinginseattle/housing-providers/moving-a-tenant-in/move-in-fees-and-deposits
• Move-in condition — walk through the unit and document any existing damage (photos/video) before you move in, so you’re not held responsible for it later.
• Repairs — know who to contact and how quickly they typically respond.
• Utility fees — many places charge separate water, sewer, and garbage fees. Verify how much these are and how they’re calculated.
• Breaking the lease — find out how much you’d need to pay if you ever needed to break it early.
• Rent — know how much is due, when it’s due, and how to pay it.
• Ask about flexibility on terms — some landlords, may be open to negotiating things like rent, move-in date, or small terms. It’s worth asking.
• Lease length and renewal — is it month-to-month or a fixed term, and what happens automatically when it ends?
• Pet policy and fees, if applicable.
• Renters insurance — some leases require it.
• Subletting/guest policy — what’s allowed if your situation changes.

Do I need to have a lease signed?
Not to be considered for our assistance — you can start your application with us before signing a lease. However, funds can only be released once you have a signed lease.

We can pledge funding before you sign, but our funds will not always cover everything, so it’s important to get an estimate of the deposit amount and confirm how much we’re able to assist with before you sign.

If you’re relying solely on our assistance to cover the deposit, please do not sign a lease until we’ve officially pledged funding.

Do you assist with application fees?
No, we do not assist with application fees. Since these fees can add up quickly, we encourage you to talk to the landlord/property manager and ask about their minimum requirements for approval — this way, if you know you don’t qualify, you won’t spend money on an application. Ask what the criteria are for approval.

Do you assist with holding deposits?
No, we do not assist with holding deposits, as these are paid before a lease is signed. If you are not approved to live in the unit, that money should be returned to you. Please ask the landlord/property manager whether the fee you are paying are refundable.

Why do I need to have income to apply?
For a deposit, we require income that shows you’ll be able to sustain your rent going forward. This assistance is meant to help you get into housing — it is not ongoing support, but a one-time payment.