Ramping down NDHS program re-housing services for households that are experiencing homelessness

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Ramping down NDHS program re-housing services for households that are experiencing homelessness

NDHS is ramping down homelessness services due to the anticipated September 2025 expiration of federal funding for pandemic-era rental assistance programs.

Households that are currently receiving approved assistance through a Letter of Commitment will no longer be able to renew it after April 30, 2025. New applications from households experiencing homelessness will also no longer be accepted starting March 15, 2025.

Example

LOC approved in  Person will have three months of rent if lease is signed by: Rent assistance is available for three months from date of lease signing (latest date)
December Feb. 28 May 31 
JanuaryMarch 31June 30
FebruaryApril 30July 31

The ramp-down process will begin on March 14, 2025 and will end on May 31, 2025. The impact will affect approximately 850 households who currently hold a letter of commitment with an expiration date during that time period. 

If you have a current Letter of Commitment, it will expire on the date specified in your agreement. After April 30, 2025, NDHS will not be able to renew your Letter of Commitment. Households are encouraged to seek permanent housing as soon as possible. If you have already found housing, please make sure to update your account in the Housing Stabilization Portal.

While most people have already been working with NDHS staff on how to build connections to other resources, we will continue to work with any household who wants help thinking through options to accelerate connection to other programs that may be able to assist. This includes applying for other programs, such as Medicaid, and SNAP, and rental assistance that may be available through HUD- or USDA-funded programs, as well as targeted local economic assistance resources.

NDHS will work with affected households to connect them with resources and assistance that may help them find permanent housing. While it typically takes an average of 150 days for households to secure housing, NDHS will assist as many households as possible through the ramp-down period, including providing referrals to rental assistance and economic programs. 

Households will be notified via email and other communications about the changes to their Letters of Commitment and available resources. NDHS will continue to offer guidance on applying for other assistance programs, including Medicaid, eviction prevention, and housing support services. 

If you need help finding housing or additional resources, please call ND 211. ND 211 is available to connect you to local resources that may help. You can reach ND 211 by dialing 211 from any phone or visiting the ND 211 website. 

If you have any further questions or need assistance, please feel free to reach out to us at 701-328-1907 or dhserb@nd.gov. Our team is here to support you through this change.

General Housing Stabilization FAQs

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General Housing Stabilization FAQs

Try to enter your name as “firstname.lastname” when you log into the portal. If this does not work, do not create another account. Please contact the contact center for additional assistance dhserb@nd.gov or 701-328-1907.

Step-by-step instructions for the re-housing application process for the household applying can be found here, eviction prevention application instructions are located here, and instructions for housing providers can also be found on our website here.

Application processing times may vary depending on the number of applications coming in and the priority level of the application. Eviction prevention applications will be prioritized first with all applications being processed in the order they are received.

Determination times may be delayed if the program is unable to reach the housing provider to complete a payment request or if the applicant did not submit all information needed to make a determination.

AMI is Area Median Income. The midpoint of the region’s income distribution, meaning that half of the households in a region earn more than the median and half earn less than the median. AMI is published for each county in the United States by U.S. Housing and Urban Development and is the basis for the NDRH Housing Stability income thresholds. An applicant’s AMI must be at or below 50% to qualify for assistance.

See where your income falls on this Income Limit AMI Chart.

Eviction Prevention applications can be submitted through the ND Housing Stability Portal.

See the user guide here for step-by-step instructions for application submission.

Yes, non-renewals or lease terminations can be submitted to the Eviction Prevention program for assistance. Since lease terminations typically are due to reasons beyond non-payment, the hosuing provider and renter may need to participate in mediation services to resolve existing conflicts.

If you are currently receiving assistance from the Re-Housing program and get an eviction notice from your housing provider, please contact the call center at 701-328-1907 or dhserb@nd.gov to determine if an eviction prevention application is necessary.

Depending on where you are in the application process completion of other tasks instead of an eviction prevention application may be necessary. For instance, if you have not completed all of your coaching sessions or submitted your extended benefits recertification, the completion of these tasks may be more suited for resolving your situation than an eviction prevention application.

Eligible renters may be approved for Eviction prevention payments a maximum of 2 times.

Upon approval of their first Eviction Prevention application, applicants can receive up to 6 months of rental assistance. The assistance is contingent upon their continued eligibility and completion of required trainings.

Payment requests submitted by housing providers ensure that payment can be received by the housing provider directly and through their preferred payment method. Additionally, completion of the payment request within the 21-day outreach window is required to be able to request payments for housing provider mitigation or vacancy loss.

While payment requests are optional for both the Re-Housing and Eviction Prevention programs, only Eviction Prevention has the ability to send an eviction payment to the housing provider through their Supplier ID without a payment request due to the urgent nature of the program. Housing providers must complete a payment request to receive available rental assistance payments after the eviction prevention payment has been sent.

If a payment request is not completed in either program, the renter will recieve payment directly via check to their address.

If you cannot remember your Supplier ID or Company ID, please contact dhserb@nd.gov or 701-328-1907.

The NDRH Housing Stabilization program has payments go out once per week on Thursdays. Payments sent via check typically take around 2 weeks to be received. Payments sent via direct deposit are typically received within 3-5 days of payment issuance.

Payment times vary depending on how the housing provider has registered to receive payment. Direct deposit payments will typically show up in the selected account within 5 days of payment being sent. Check payments usually take around 14-21 days to be received by mail.

If you are a housing provider and have not received your payment within the timeframe specified by your preferred payment method, please contact the call center at 701-328-1907 or dhserb@nd.gov.

If you are a renter and your housing provider has not yet posted payment to your ledger within a two-week time frame of it being sent, please contact your housing provider first to confirm if they are missing the payment and then contact us at 701-328-1907 or dhserb@nd.gov.

Applicants that have utilized a Letter of Commitment that was issued prior to May 1st, 2023, to obtain housing may qualify for up to 12 months of assistance with continued eligibility and completed recertifications.

Applicants that have utilized a Letter of Commitment that was issued on or after May 1st, 2023, to obtain housing will qualify for up to 6 months of assistance and security deposit.

If you qualify to receive additional assistance, you will receive an email to recertify from IT Service Desk.

NDRH Housing Stabilization does not provide utility assistance. If you have a past utility debt that is preventing you from finding stable housing, you may submit a request for a barrier to housing payment to cover this debt. 

You can seek assistance for home energy costs from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Visit the Apply for Help page for other financial help programs.

Effective February 1st, 2025, an applicant who has used their letter of commitment to obtain housing and has failed to submit a housing application in their portal within 30 days of signing their lease or has been denied due to being over the letter of commitment limit can be denied benefits.

Once you have found a housing provider and signed a lease with a valid letter of commitment, you will need to log into your application and submit your housed application.