Looking for rental assistance Orlando FL families can actually use? Helping Hands Act matches you with Section 8, Orange County crisis and eviction prevention funds, and other Orlando rental assistance programs. See what you may qualify for in under 2 minutes.
Orlando runs on shift work. Theme parks, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, the convention center. When the hours get cut, rent does not get cut with them.
The average Orlando apartment now rents for around $1,812 a month. A slow season, a storm, a car repair, a spike in the OUC bill, and suddenly you are short.
You are not alone, and you are not behind by choice. Real rent assistance Orlando FL renters use exists. Most just never find the right Orlando rental assistance programs in time.
Will my family still have a home next month?
See If You Qualify for FreeWhat stands between you and rent help
Stop calling office after office. Here is the whole path, start to finish.
Tell us your situation
Answer a few quick questions about your home, income, and county. It takes about 2 minutes. No credit card, ever.
See your matches
We compare your answers against 100+ federal, state, and Orlando rent help programs and show what fits you.
Talk to a real person
A case manager calls you within 24 hours. They explain your matches in plain words and answer your questions.
Apply and move forward
You apply to each program with the agency that runs it. We tell you what to bring and where to send it.
Orlando has more than one type of rent help. The right Orlando rental assistance programs for you depend on your income, your county, and your family size. Some serve families with children, seniors, and veterans first.
One-time help with rent, mortgage, or utilities for Orange County residents hit by an unforeseen event. Call 407-836-6500 to be screened. Appointments are first call, first served, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.
Eviction Prevention in the Community helps Orange County families with minor children who are two or more months behind or already hold an eviction notice. Call the EPIC message line at 407-836-6514 to be screened. Help is limited to twice in a lifetime.
The Orlando Housing Authority runs Section 8 in the city. You pay about 30% of your income and the voucher covers the rest. Both the Section 8 and public housing waitlists are currently closed with no reopening date announced.
Central Florida’s free referral line for Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. Dial 211 and ask for rent and utility help. Housing and utilities are the top reasons Central Floridians call.
Income-based apartments across Orlando set rent by what you can afford instead of the open market rate. Some are tax credit units. Others are public housing run through the Orlando Housing Authority.
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation and HUD back many rent help programs in Central Florida. We explain who they help first and how long the wait can be.
Behind on rent right now? Got a 3-day notice? Emergency rent assistance Orlando FL renters can use comes from a few main places. Start with these.
Orange County Crisis Assistance Program. Call 407-836-6500 to be screened for a one-time payment toward rent, mortgage, or utilities. Lines open at 8:30 a.m. and appointments go first call, first served, so call early.
EPIC eviction prevention. If you have children at home and you are two or more months behind or holding an eviction notice, call the EPIC message line at 407-836-6514. Leave your name, phone number, and court case number if you have one. Staff aim to call back within two business days.
Heart of Florida United Way 211. Dial 211 free for Orange, Osceola, and Seminole. Ask for emergency rent and utility help and they will tell you what is open this week.
Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida. Free legal help for renters facing eviction in Orange and Osceola counties. Orange County itself points residents here for eviction matters.
Funding changes often. A free eligibility check can show you which programs are open right now and match your case.
Orlando eviction cases are filed in the Ninth Judicial Circuit, which covers Orange and Osceola counties. The deadlines are set by state law and they are shorter than most renters expect.
A Florida 3 day notice for unpaid rent does not count the delivery day, Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays, so it usually gives you about five calendar days. Once the case is filed, you have five business days to answer, and in a nonpayment case you must also deposit the rent claimed into the court registry or ask the judge to decide the amount. Miss that step and you can lose by default without a hearing.
These guides walk through it from the renter’s side:
Florida eviction process · eviction notice Florida · how long does eviction take in Florida · how to stop eviction in Florida · Florida eviction laws · Florida tenant rights
1. Built for renters
Most sites for rental assistance in Orlando FL are made for case workers. Ours is made for the person who pays the rent.
2. Free to check
The eligibility check costs nothing. We do not ask for a card to see your options.
3. Knows Orlando programs
We cover the Orlando Housing Authority, Orange County Crisis Assistance, EPIC, Heart of Florida United Way 211, and other Central Florida groups in one place.
4. Real people
A case manager calls within 24 hours. They answer real questions about your case.
5. Plain English
No HUD jargon. We turn the rules into plain words so you know what they mean for you.
6. Built to save time
Skip weeks of phone tag with Orange County offices. Get a clear list of the right programs to try first.
Trusted by Orlando Renters
Helping Hands Act has helped people across Orlando and the rest of the country find benefit programs they did not know about. Here is what users say.
“My hours got cut after the season ended and rent was due in a week. I thought the waitlists were the only option and they were all closed. In a couple of minutes I had a list of things to try that I had never heard of, and someone called to walk me through it.”
Helping Hands Act user, Orlando FL
“I was skeptical at first, but after completing the questionnaire I was matched with three programs I had no idea I qualified for. The process was simple and I didn’t have to pay a dime.”
Program user reviewing the Helping Hands Act eligibility tool
Live outside Orlando? We cover rent help across Florida. Find your region, then pick your city to see local programs.
Orlando renters can get help in a few ways. Some call the Orange County Crisis Assistance Program at 407-836-6500 for one-time rent or utility help. Families with children who are behind or facing eviction can call the EPIC line at 407-836-6514. Others use Section 8 through the Orlando Housing Authority when the waitlist opens. The first step is to see what fits your income and family size. Helping Hands Act offers a free check so you can see your options fast.
Start with the Orange County Crisis Assistance Program at 407-836-6500. Appointments are first call, first served from 8:30 a.m., so call early. If you have minor children and an eviction notice, call EPIC at 407-836-6514. Dial 211 for Heart of Florida United Way to find what else is open across Orange, Osceola, and Seminole. Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida handles free eviction defense. A free check shows your matches fast.
No. The Orlando Housing Authority states that both its public housing and Section 8 waiting lists are closed, and it cannot predict when they will reopen because that depends on when current clients leave the programs. Because openings are announced with little warning, it is worth applying the moment a list opens and using crisis and eviction prevention programs in the meantime.
No. Orange County states that its Emergency Rental Assistance Program, ERAP2, is closed. The county distributed more than $43.5 million in federal assistance across two phases before it ended, and now directs residents to the Crisis Assistance Program, Heart of Florida United Way 211, and Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida instead.
Eviction Prevention in the Community, or EPIC, is Orange County’s eviction and foreclosure prevention program. It is for families with minor children who are two or more months behind on rent or mortgage, or who have received an eviction notice. You generally need to be a U.S. citizen or legal resident, an Orange County resident for at least 90 days, employed with enough income to sustain the home going forward, and willing to take part in case management. Assistance is limited to twice in a lifetime. Call 407-836-6514 to be screened.
Most Orlando rent help programs use Area Median Income (AMI) for the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford area. The main limits are:
Extremely low income: at or below 30% of AMI. Most new Section 8 vouchers go to this group first.
Very low income: at or below 50% of AMI. This is the main Section 8 limit.
Low income: at or below 80% of AMI. This covers many other programs.
Limits change with family size. Crisis and eviction prevention programs also add their own rules, such as county residency and proof of a recent hardship.
Most Orlando programs ask for the same papers. Have these ready to move faster: a photo ID, Social Security numbers for everyone in your home, proof of Orange County residency, proof of income such as pay stubs or a benefits letter, your lease, your past-due rent notice or court paperwork, and your landlord’s contact and payment details. Applications stall most often for missing landlord information, so get it in advance.
No. The eligibility check is free. We do not ask for a credit card to see what programs may help you.
Orlando Is Tough. So Are You. Let Us Help.
Somewhere across Orange County, a family just like yours found the right rental assistance Orlando FL renters can use. You can be next.
The Section 8 list is closed. ERAP is gone. The Crisis Assistance line fills up by mid-morning. But real help is still out there. The hard part is finding it before rent is due.
That is what we do for you. In about two minutes, with no cost and no card, we match you to Orange County crisis funds, EPIC eviction prevention, Section 8, utility help, and other Orlando rental assistance programs you may qualify for.
Then a real person calls you within 24 hours. Clear next steps. No runaround.
You already did the hardest part by looking. Do not wait for the notice on the door. Check your eligibility for free now.
Check Your Eligibility for Free