Delaware rental assistance is administered by the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA), which runs several programs that help low-income households cover rent: long-term Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8), a Moving to Work program, project-based subsidies for people with disabilities, state-referred vouchers, and, when federal funding is available, short-term emergency aid for back rent and utilities. Eligibility depends mainly on your household income compared to area median income (AMI), Delaware residency, and evidence that you need help staying housed. Because emergency funding opens and closes with federal appropriations, calling DSHA directly at (888) 363-8808 is the fastest way to find out what is accepting applications right now.
Which Program Fits Your Situation
The right program depends on whether you need ongoing help, emergency help, or help tied to a disability.
For ongoing rent subsidy, the Housing Choice Voucher program is the main option. DSHA administers 902 vouchers covering Kent and Sussex Counties. Participants pay roughly 30 to 35 percent of their income toward rent and utilities, and the voucher covers the rest. Preference goes to working families, people aged 62 or older, and individuals with disabilities.
The Moving to Work (MTW) program is structured to move participants off assistance within seven years. Rent is capped at 35 percent of adjusted monthly income or $120, whichever is higher, with a $350 ceiling at move-in. MTW uses a strike system for noncompliance, and three strikes end assistance.
If you have a qualifying disability and very low income, the Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Program offers project-based subsidies at designated properties. It’s limited to applicants under 62 with household income at or below 30 percent of AMI who receive long-term services through the Department of Health and Social Services.
The State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) issues vouchers to households referred by DHSS or the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. Participants pay 28 percent of monthly income toward rent.
For short-term help with back rent, DSHA has run the Delaware Housing Assistance Program (DEHAP) when federal emergency rental assistance funding was available. At its peak, DEHAP covered up to 18 months of combined rental and utility help, including arrears, up to three months of future rent, security deposits up to $2,000 per month, utilities owed to landlords, late fees, and court fees for households at or below 50 percent of AMI. Whether DEHAP or a similar program is currently accepting applications depends on federal funding, so confirm with DSHA before planning around it.
Who Qualifies
Income
Every DSHA program uses AMI, but the cutoff differs. Housing Choice Vouchers require income at or below 50 percent of AMI. Section 811 drops that to 30 percent. Emergency programs like DEHAP have used the 50 percent threshold. AMI figures vary by county and household size, and DSHA publishes updated income limit tables on its website each year. Federal guidance does not impose a separate cap on savings or liquid assets for emergency rental assistance, though individual programs can add requirements.
Residency and Lease
You must be a Delaware resident renting a primary residence in the state, with U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status. A written lease identifying the tenant, landlord, term, and monthly rent is expected. For Housing Choice Vouchers, applicants living in Kent or Sussex County get waiting-list priority.
If you don’t have a formal written lease, you’re not automatically out. Federal Treasury guidance for emergency rental assistance recognized informal arrangements, and a signed self-certification from the tenant describing the rental setup can substitute.
Housing Instability
Emergency programs prioritize applicants facing imminent loss of housing. Past-due rent, an eviction filing, or a significant income drop from job loss or a medical emergency all count. Federal guidance directed grantees to prioritize households below 50 percent of AMI and those unemployed for 90 days or more.
How to Apply
For Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing, DSHA uses a centralized waiting list at delaware.affordablehousing.com. All five Delaware public housing authorities pull from that single portal. Waiting lists open only in limited windows, and waits often stretch into years, so get on the list as early as you can.
When emergency programs like DEHAP are active, DSHA opens a separate online intake and announces it on its website and the state news portal. Because timing is unpredictable, contacting DSHA directly is often faster than searching online:
- Toll-free: (888) 363-8808
- Dover office: (302) 739-4263
- Wilmington office: (302) 577-5002
- Email: dsha_contactdsha@delaware.gov
Don’t wait until you’re several months behind. Complete applications for emergency programs have historically taken 30 to 60 days to process, and missing paperwork drags that out.
Documents to Gather
Plan on three categories of proof.
Income. Recent pay stubs, tax returns, Social Security benefit statements, or unemployment compensation records. Self-employed applicants may need bank statements or profit-and-loss statements instead.
Housing instability. A past-due rent notice, an eviction filing from court, or written correspondence from your landlord about nonpayment. If job loss or a medical crisis caused the problem, add the termination letter, medical bills, or disability approval.
Residency. Your lease is the main document, but utility bills in your name or government mail sent to the rental address work too.
What Happens After You’re Approved
Payments generally go straight to your landlord or utility provider, not to you. Confirm with your landlord that the money was credited to your account, and tell DSHA promptly if it wasn’t.
Approval doesn’t suspend your lease. You still have to follow lease terms, maintain the property, and pay any rent outside the covered period. Damage or illegal activity can still get you evicted while you’re receiving assistance.
Some programs require periodic recertification with updated income and household information. Missing a recertification deadline can end your benefits, so treat those dates the way you’d treat rent day.
Can a Landlord Refuse a Voucher
Not anymore. On January 1, 2026, Delaware repealed the exemption that had let landlords turn away tenants solely because they use a government-sponsored rental assistance program or voucher. The repeal amended both the Delaware Fair Housing Act (Title 6, Section 4607) and the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code (Title 25, Section 5116), making it unlawful to discriminate based on a tenant’s use of rental assistance.
In practice, a landlord can no longer reject your application just because your rent would be partially covered by a Housing Choice Voucher or another subsidy. If you believe you were refused for that reason, you can file a fair housing complaint with the Delaware Division of Human Relations or with HUD.
Landlord participation in the programs themselves is still voluntary, but once a landlord agrees to accept payments, they can’t evict the tenant for nonpayment during the covered period, and some programs require them to waive late fees on the past-due balance.
If You’re Denied
Denials usually come from incomplete paperwork, income above the threshold, or thin evidence of housing instability. The denial notice will state the reason and explain how to appeal.
Appeals are filed in writing within the timeframe stated in your denial letter, often 14 to 30 days. Attach whatever addresses the stated reason: corrected income verification, additional proof of hardship, or the paperwork you missed. You may be offered a hearing. If the appeal succeeds, assistance can be granted retroactively to cover the gap.
If the denial stands and you’re facing eviction, Delaware’s Right to Representation program provides free legal help to low-income tenants. To qualify, your household income must be at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, and your landlord must not fall into the program’s exemption (landlords who own three or fewer rental units, are not an LLC, and don’t have their own lawyer may be exempt). Three organizations handle intake:
- Community Legal Aid Society (CLASI): (302) 575-0660 (New Castle), (302) 674-8500 (Kent), (302) 856-0038 (Sussex)
- Legal Services Corporation of Delaware (LSCD): (302) 575-0408 ext. 100 (New Castle and Sussex), (302) 734-8820 (Kent)
- Delaware 211: Call 2-1-1 or (800) 560-3372
Even if you don’t qualify for Right to Representation, these groups can often point you to other housing resources or help you negotiate with your landlord before a filing reaches court.
A Word on Application Honesty
Inflating hardship, forging income documents, or hiding other assistance you already receive is prosecutable. Under Title 31, Chapter 10 of the Delaware Code, obtaining public assistance through false statements is a Class A misdemeanor for benefits under $500, a Class E felony from $500 to under $10,000, and a Class C felony at $10,000 or more. Convictions carry full restitution with 1.5 percent monthly interest and can permanently bar you from Delaware public assistance programs. Federally funded housing fraud can add fines up to $10,000 and up to five years in prison. DSHA cross-references tax records, employment data, and landlord verifications, so submit numbers you can back up.