Rent Assistance
Thank you for reaching out to Dakota County Mutual Aid. We know how stressful and scary it can be when you are behind on rent or worried about losing your housing. We want to help make the next steps as clear as possible.
Dakota County Mutual Aid has very limited direct rental assistance funding right now, but there are several larger rental assistance programs available in Dakota County.
If you are behind on rent, we recommend doing these things right away:
Call the Dakota County Housing Resource Line: 651-554-5751 and leave a message
Contact CAP Agency for rental assistance: 651-322-3500
If you can afford your rent going forward, apply for Dakota County Emergency Assistance: 651-554-5611
If an eviction has already been filed, call 360 Communities: 952-985-5300
CAP Agency and 360 Communities do not ask about immigration status when providing these services.
We know this process can feel scary, especially if you contact CAP after their monthly intake has closed and are told you need to wait until the next intake period. Please keep going through the steps above. There are different programs available at different points in the process.
Rental assistance programs may contact you by phone, voicemail, email, or text and may ask you to provide documents before they can continue processing your case.
Check your voicemail and email regularly, respond when someone contacts you, and provide requested documents as quickly as you can. If a program asks you for something and does not receive it, your application may not be able to move forward.
If you do not understand what you are being asked to provide or are having trouble getting a document, please ask for help rather than letting the application sit. Dakota County Mutual Aid can help you understand what is being requested and figure out your next step.
You do not need to wait to hear back from one program before contacting another.
Being told that one program cannot help you right now does not necessarily mean that there are no other options. Keep track of who you have contacted and what they told you, and come back to Dakota County Mutual Aid if you are getting stuck.
1. Dakota County Housing Resource Line
We recommend that anyone struggling with rent or housing stability contact the Housing Resource Line.
They provide homelessness prevention services and housing navigation and can screen your household for rental assistance and other resources that may be available based on your situation.
You will likely need to leave a voicemail. Leave a message with a phone number where you can be reached. They are currently experiencing a high volume of calls, so it may take several days for someone to return your call.
You do not need to wait for their call back before contacting CAP or applying for Emergency Assistance.
2. CAP Agency Rental Assistance
CAP Agency provides rental assistance to eligible Dakota County households.
Rental assistance intake is generally open during the first four business days of each month, so call as soon as possible during that window.
Unlike some other rental assistance programs, you do not need to prove that you can afford your rent going forward in order to qualify for this program. If you currently have little or no income, CAP is an especially important resource to try.
CAP Agency does not ask about immigration status when providing these services.
If CAP's intake is closed or CAP cannot assist you, make sure you have also contacted the Housing Resource Line.
3. Dakota County Emergency Assistance
Emergency Assistance is one of the largest sources of rental assistance available through Dakota County, so it is worth applying if you may qualify.
This program has more eligibility requirements than CAP's rental assistance program. One important requirement is that the assistance generally needs to resolve the immediate emergency. This means you need to have a way to afford your rent going forward after the past-due amount is paid.
Eligibility depends on your household's individual circumstances. Do not automatically assume you are ineligible because of immigration or citizenship status. If your household includes children, there may still be options available depending on your circumstances.
The Housing Resource Line may have other options for you
The Housing Resource Line can also screen you for additional rental assistance and homelessness prevention programs. Some of these programs require you to show that you will be able to afford your rent going forward after the past-due amount is paid. If you currently have little or no income and cannot afford your rent going forward, CAP may be a better option to pursue.
Has an eviction already been filed?
If an eviction case has already been filed, call 360 Communities at 952-985-5300 as soon as possible.
360 Communities does not ask about immigration status when providing these services.
If your court date is approaching, do not wait for the Housing Resource Line to return your call. Call 360 Communities directly.
Are you age 24 or younger?
Additional housing resources may be available specifically for young people.
Call the YMCA Housing Program at 763-493-3052 to ask about available assistance.
This could include detention or deportation of someone who contributed to rent, loss of income related to immigration status, or loss of income because someone was afraid to leave home.
Please let Dakota County Mutual Aid know. We have extremely limited funding remaining for some of these situations.
If you live in Eagan and your household was impacted by Metro Surge, or you have a child in the Eagan school district, please let us know. We may be able to connect you with an additional funding resource.
Was your household financially impacted by Metro Surge?
Still need help?
If you have tried the resources that apply to you and still cannot get assistance, please come back to Dakota County Mutual Aid.
Tell us:
Which resources you contacted
What they told you
How much you currently owe
Whether an eviction has been filed
Whether you currently have income and can afford your rent going forward
We can then look more closely at your situation and see whether there are other resources available.
If there is still a gap after other resources have been tried, your case may be referred to our Executive Director for additional review.
If you are having trouble navigating these resources or are not sure what to do next, please reach out. We will do our best to help you find the next step.
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