Housing Resources

Service Animal GraphicAssistance Animals: Service Animals and Support Animals

Service dogs perform many disability-related functions, including guiding individuals who are blind or have low vision, alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to sounds, and alerting persons to impeding seizures or the presence of allergens. Support animals may help by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors, assisting in dealing with disability-related stress or pain, or providing emotional support that alleviates at least one identified symptom or effect of a physical or mental impairment. Learn more with this RESOURCE GUIDE: ASSISTANCE ANIMALS IN HOUSING provided by the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan.

Eviction Diversion Resources

  • Michigan Homeowner Assistance Fund (MIHAF)
    • IMPORTANT: The Michigan Homeowner Assistance Fund (MIHAF) is nearing the end of its federal funding and will stop accepting new applications at 11:59 p.m. Friday, December 8th, 2023. MIHAF staff will continue to prioritize and review submitted applications based on program guidelines until all program funds have been committed for payments. Submission of an application does not guarantee assistance. Please watch for official communication from the program and respond as soon as possible to requests for additional information. Application status can be checked at any time by visiting the application portal. After Dec8th 2023, any homeowner needing assistance can be added to a wait list by calling MIHAF customer service at 1-844-756-4423 or by emailing MSHDA-HO-HAF-Program@michigan.gov.  Being added to the wait list does not guarantee assistance.
    • MIHAF provides up to $25,000 housing grants to mitigate hardships associated with the coronavirus pandemic. Provides funds to prevent homeowner mortgage delinquencies, defaults, foreclosure, loss of utilities or home energy services and displacements of homeowners experiencing financial hardship on or after January 21, 2020 or for those homeowners who experience a coronavirus pandemic financial hardship that began before January 21, 2020 but continued after that date. 
  • Good Samaritan Ministries has eviction prevention programs that offer short–term financial assistance and supportive services that help individuals and families remain housed and provide expedited payments to rental property owners.

Struggling with Rent EnglishStruggling with Rent Payments? These Community Resources Can Help.

Download this listing of community organizations that can offer assistance with rent and housing expenses. Available in English and Spanish




A Practical Guide for Tenants & Landlords

This guide (PDF), also available in Spanish, was prepared by the Michigan State University College of Law Housing Clinic and has everything you need to know about being a good tenant or a landlord. Printed copies are available at City Hall in the Human Relations or Community Neighborhood Services offices at:
207 S River Avenue
Holland, MI 49423

NewHome Repair Resources & Assistance

For qualifying homeowners needing housing repairs, this list includes state, city, and local funding sources and local organizations that can help get the job done. 

Housing Assistance

United Way of Ottawa County has assembled a list of all the organizations in Ottawa County that support the community’s housing needs. This link will take you to a list of agencies, including contact information, that may be able to help with a specific housing need, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent housing, and homelessness prevention. 

Fair Housing & Criminal Background Checks

Unfair criminal background screening can be housing discrimination. Screening based on criminal records should only consider convictions that indicate real and current risk to people or property. Screening criteria should be applied equally. People have the right to explain circumstances of their conviction and what they’ve done since. Learn more with this fact sheet prepared by the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan.

Fair Housing for Persons with Disabilities

Fair housing laws not only prohibit housing discrimination based on disability, but also afford people with disabilities the right to seek reasonable accommodations and modifications to make their housing and communities easier to use and access. Further, fair housing laws require specific accessibility features in all newly constructed multi-family housing to ensure equal housing opportunity for persons with disabilities. The Fair Housing Center of West Michigan has a variety of resources in English and Spanish on this topic, including Assistance Animals in Housing.

Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home

Renters: Federal law requires that before signing a lease for housing built before 1978, renters must receive the following from your landlord:

  • An EPA-approved information pamphlet on identifying and controlling lead-based paint hazards: Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home.  Also available in Spanish.
  • Any known information concerning the presence of lead-based paint hazards in the home or building.
    • For multi-unit buildings, this requirement includes records and reports concerning common areas and other unit when such information was obtained as a result of a building-wide evaluation.
  • An attachment to the contract, or language inserted in the contract, that includes a "Lead Warning Statement" and confirms that the landlord has complied with all notification requirements.

If you have concerns, ask your landlord to get a Lead Hazard Inspection from a certified inspector before signing your lease. 

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program

This program from the MDHHS has information and resources to prevent childhood lead poisoning across the state through surveillance, outreach, and health services. Visit their website to learn more. 

Local Housing Resources

Senior Housing Resources