Quick answer
Georgia has no open statewide rent relief application. The Georgia Rental Assistance Program closed to new applications in late October 2022, and the federal Emergency Rental Assistance program behind it ended September 30, 2025. For rent help now: dial 211 for county emergency assistance and charities with money this month, go through your area’s coordinated entry for HUD-funded homelessness prevention, and apply for a Housing Choice Voucher through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs or your local housing authority for ongoing help. Families with children can apply for TANF, and everyone can use LIHEAP to lower energy bills. Applying is free.
Key facts
- GRA is closed. DCA announced in October 2022 that the program was no longer accepting new applications after expending and committing more than $830 million.
- Treasury’s ERA2 period of performance ended September 30, 2025, so no new pandemic-style rent relief can be funded.
- TANF in Georgia is monthly cash for low-income families with children, with an employment services component and a child support cooperation rule; the maximum for a family of three has been $280 a month since 1996.
- LIHEAP in Georgia runs through community action agencies; the heating season opens first for people 65 and older and medically homebound households, then for everyone else.
- No real program charges a fee to apply.
Table of contents
Is the Georgia rent relief program still open?
No. The Georgia Rental Assistance Program was the state’s pandemic emergency rental assistance program, run by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs with federal Treasury money. In late October 2022 DCA announced that, having expended and committed more than $830 million, the program was no longer accepting new applications, though applications already submitted would continue to be reviewed and processed; advocates criticized the abrupt closure, as GPB reported. The federal source has ended too: the U.S. Treasury states that the ERA2 period of performance closed on September 30, 2025, on its Emergency Rental Assistance page.
Watch out: sites that still offer a “Georgia Rental Assistance application” and charge a fee are scams. DCA, 211, and the agencies below never charge.
What rent help exists in Georgia now?
| Type of help | What it pays | Who runs it | How fast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) | Ongoing subsidy; you typically pay about 30% of income toward rent | DCA in 149 counties; Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb, and other local housing authorities elsewhere | Waiting lists, often months to years |
| County emergency assistance | One-time back rent, deposits, or utilities; amounts vary | County governments and community action agencies | Days to weeks, by appointment |
| Charity rent funds | One-time payment to the landlord, often a few hundred dollars | Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, St. Vincent de Paul, MUST Ministries, churches | Days, after an interview with lease and notice |
| Homelessness prevention (ESG) | Short-term rent and move-in costs for households about to lose housing | Nonprofits funded by HUD’s Emergency Solutions Grants, through coordinated entry | Varies; start with 211 |
HUD’s Emergency Solutions Grants fund street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing, and data systems through states, cities, and counties, which pass the money to nonprofits, according to HUD Exchange. In Georgia, DCA distributes the state share, and large cities and counties receive their own.
Where do metro Atlanta renters find help?
Most of Georgia’s remaining rent money sits with county governments and nonprofits in metro Atlanta, and each runs its own program with its own budget and intake days. In general: Fulton County and the City of Atlanta fund nonprofit partners and a coordinated entry system through the Gateway Center; DeKalb, Clayton, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties run or fund emergency assistance programs that open and close as funds allow; and MUST Ministries, the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities Atlanta, and St. Vincent de Paul Georgia make one-time payments. Because availability changes month to month, 211 (run by United Way of Greater Atlanta in the metro area) is the reliable first call.
How do TANF and LIHEAP free up money for rent?
- TANF. Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services describes TANF as “the monthly cash assistance program, with an employment services component, for low-income families with children under age 18,” and notes that cooperation with child support enforcement is required unless good cause is shown, on its TANF page. Amounts are small: the maximum for a family of three is $280 a month, unchanged since 1996, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty’s 2025–26 Georgia profile. Apply online through Georgia Gateway or at your county DFCS office.
- LIHEAP. Georgia delivers federal energy assistance through community action agencies. The heating season typically opens in early December for people 65 and older and medically homebound households, and in January for everyone else, until funds run out; cooling help opens in summer. Find your agency through the LIHEAP office search at EnergyHelp.us or call 1-866-674-6327. HHS notes LIHEAP never charges a fee.
- SNAP. Replaces grocery spending; estimate with our SNAP calculator.
What if I already have an eviction notice?
- Answer the dispossessory affidavit within 7 days of being served; in Georgia, missing that deadline usually means a default judgment.
- Get free legal help. Atlanta Legal Aid, Georgia Legal Services, and court eviction diversion programs serve low-income tenants; ask 211.
- Get the landlord’s written agreement to accept a payment from an agency and dismiss the case.
- Bring documents: lease, affidavit or notice, ID, proof of income, and the landlord’s contact details.
How do I apply, step by step?
- Dial 211 and ask for every open rent program in your county, including coordinated entry for HUD-funded prevention.
- Apply for a Housing Choice Voucher with DCA and any local housing authority that serves your area.
- If you have children, apply for TANF through Georgia Gateway, and for SNAP in the same application.
- Apply for LIHEAP through your community action agency when the season opens.
Applying is free. DCA, DFCS, 211, community action agencies, charities, and legal aid never charge to apply.
For more specifics, see our guides on emergency rent relief by state and programs that help pay rent.
Related guides
- Immediate hotel vouchers for people who are homeless
- Hardship grants for individuals
- Utility relief and LIHEAP by state
- Housing help: vouchers, affordable housing, and paths to owning
Frequently asked questions
Is the Georgia rent relief program still accepting applications?
No. The Georgia Rental Assistance Program stopped taking new applications in October 2022, and the federal funding behind it ended in 2025. Rent help now comes from county funds, charities, HUD-funded prevention programs, and Housing Choice Vouchers.
Who do I call for rent help in Georgia?
Dial 211. It lists open county and charity rent programs and connects you to coordinated entry and legal aid.
How much is TANF in Georgia?
The maximum for a family of three is $280 a month, unchanged since 1996. It is for low-income families with children and requires work participation and child support cooperation.
When does Georgia LIHEAP open?
Heating help typically opens in early December for people 65 and older and medically homebound households, and in January for everyone else, through your community action agency, until funds run out.
Can I get ongoing rent help in Georgia?
Only through Housing Choice Vouchers from DCA or a local housing authority, which have waiting lists. Other help is one-time.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on October 24, 2026. If a source and this page ever disagree, follow the source.
- GPB News (Nov. 3, 2022): Georgia Rental Assistance Program closed to new applications, quoting DCA
- U.S. Treasury: Emergency Rental Assistance program status
- Georgia Division of Family and Children Services: TANF
- National Center for Children in Poverty: TANF 2025–26 profile, Georgia (maximum benefit)
- HUD Exchange: Emergency Solutions Grants program requirements
- EnergyHelp.us: LIHEAP office search and hotline (HHS)
- 211.org: find your local 211
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice, and not an application. Program funding changes; confirm with the agency that runs the program. National Relief Program is an independent website, not a government agency.
Before you apply: program rules, amounts, and deadlines change. Always confirm details with the official agency or program administrator. Applying for government benefits is free.
National Relief Program is an independent guide, not a government agency. Spotted an error? Email support@nationalreliefprogram.org.
