Rent Assistance in Iowa

Last checked: November 2026. Benefits Explorer is a directory. We do not provide rent money or decide who gets help, and each program makes its own decisions.

Iowa has no statewide rent application that we could verify as open. Iowa Legal Aid's own advice to renters is to contact the county General Assistance office and the local Community Action Program, and to call 211. Those local offices are the main route to money for rent here.

If you already have a hearing date, Iowa Legal Aid attorneys are on site at eviction hearings in Black Hawk, Johnson, Linn, Polk, Pottawattamie and Scott counties. Staff there may refer you to partner agencies that administer rental assistance.

Where to Start in Iowa

County General Assistance offices

Iowa Legal Aid does not provide money itself and sends renters to their county's General Assistance office for resources. What each county pays and who it helps is set locally, so call your county office and ask.

Visit website · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Iowa HHS Community Action Agencies Unit

HUD's Iowa page lists this unit in connection with utility help through Iowa's Community Action Agencies. Iowa Legal Aid also names the Community Action Program as a place to ask about rent, so use this line to find your local agency.

Visit website · Phone: 515-281-3861 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Iowa Rent Reimbursement

Not emergency help: a partial refund of rent already paid, from Iowa HHS, for low-income Iowans age 65 or older and low-income disabled adults. Household income must be below $26,895 for 2025 claims or below $26,219 for 2024 claims, per the state's page. Claims for those years opened January 2, 2026.

Visit website · Phone: 515-420-6077 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Iowa Finance Authority renter programs

Now part of Opportunity Iowa. Its renter page lists the Home and Community-Based Services Rent Subsidy Program, Iowa Housing Search for finding rentals, and a Section 8 rental community search. None is described there as paying back rent. The general line is the only number listed.

Visit website · Phone: 515-348-6200 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Public housing authority locator

HUD's Iowa page gives this line for finding your local public housing authority, which is where you apply for public housing and Housing Choice Vouchers. HUD itself does not provide direct rent help.

Visit website · Phone: 800-955-2232 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Local Rent Help in Iowa

Polk County General Assistance (Polk County, including Des Moines)

The county's General Assistance office has a rental assistance page. Rules and amounts are not listed here, so check that page or contact the office directly.

Visit website · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

IMPACT Community Action Partnership (Polk, Jasper, Boone, Warren and Marion counties)

Lists Housing Assistance among its programs without details on eligibility or current availability. You can call or text this number to ask.

Visit website · Phone: 515-518-4770 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

HACAP (Nine eastern Iowa counties)

A Community Action agency running programs in nine eastern Iowa counties, with affordable housing and homelessness among its services. Its home page does not say whether housing help is open, so use the site's contact page.

Visit website · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Polk County homeless help line (Polk County)

HUD's Iowa page lists this number for homeless help in Polk County. Outside Polk County, HUD lists 833-739-0065.

Visit website · Phone: 515-248-1850 · Call or check the website to confirm it is open

Iowa Legal Aid eviction help desks (Black Hawk, Johnson, Linn, Polk, Pottawattamie and Scott counties)

Attorneys are at or near the courthouse during eviction hearings. Arrive about 45 minutes early and bring your lease and everything your landlord sent, including envelopes. Representation is not assured, and staff may refer you to partner agencies that administer rental assistance.

Visit website · Phone: 1-800-532-1275 · Accepting applications when last checked

Facing Eviction in Iowa?

Landlords generally must give written notice first, and the notice gives a set number of days, such as 3, 7 or 30, to act or move. If you stay, the landlord files a case Iowa calls forcible entry and detainer, and you are served with a hearing date. You will likely be evicted if you skip the hearing. If evicted, the sheriff may come as soon as the next day, but a landlord cannot remove you, shut off utilities or throw out belongings without a court order. Read the official guidance

Free or low-cost legal help: Iowa Legal Aid. Free civil legal help for low-income Iowans, with housing stability as a focus area. Intake is available by phone around the clock. Iowans age 60 and over can call 800-992-8161. Visit website · Phone: 1-800-532-1275

This page is general information, not legal advice. Don't ignore a notice or court papers, because eviction deadlines can be short.

More Help in Iowa

Want other options? See our full rent assistance guide, including how to spot a scam, or see your options. That form is not an application for rent assistance. If you submit it, Benefits Explorer and its partners may contact you.

Iowa Rent Assistance Questions

Is the Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program still open?

Do not plan on it. The state's current renter page lists other programs and does not include it. To confirm, call the Iowa Finance Authority general line at 515-348-6200, and contact your county General Assistance office for current help.

Who helps with back rent in Des Moines?

Try Polk County General Assistance and IMPACT Community Action Partnership at 515-518-4770. If you have a hearing, Iowa Legal Aid has a help desk on the second floor of the Polk County Courthouse, 222 5th Avenue.

Does Iowa Legal Aid pay rent?

No. It says it does not offer financial assistance. It gives free legal help and refers renters to county General Assistance, Community Action Programs and 211 for money.

Rent Assistance in Nearby States

Most programs only help people who live in their state. If you are moving or live near a state line, you can also check:

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