Stop the Eviction. Keep Your Home.
Behind on rent or staring at a notice? There’s real money that pays your landlord directly, and rights that protect you — most people just never find them. Here’s the whole path, free.
⏰ Already served with court papers? Jump to free legal help →
Do this first — today
If a payment is what you need: emergency rental assistance pays your landlord straight from the government, and many programs have no waitlist right now.
Start here: Find rent & utility help (USA.gov) or call 2-1-1 — they tell you which local programs have money today and help you apply. Have your ZIP and lease handy.
If you already got a notice
An eviction notice is not the end — but don’t move out and don’t ignore it. There are required steps and short deadlines, and you usually have a right to a hearing.
- Find free legal aid near you (LSC) Free lawyers who handle evictions and tenant rights. Contact them the day you get a notice.
- LawHelp.org Plain-language tenant rights and local programs by state.
- Know Your Rights (our guide) Landlords, lockouts, deposits, and what to do step by step.
- Find shelter & housing help (HUD) If you need somewhere safe right now, shelters and emergency housing near you.
The Plus Playbook for Rent
Everything above is free and enough to get help. Plus is on the way — and when it lands, it’ll do the heavy lifting for you: the paperwork, the wording, the timing.
What Plus will include:
- Fill-in hardship letter template landlords and programs accept
- Eviction-response checklist with a deadline tracker so you never miss a date
- Word-for-word phone scripts for 2-1-1, your landlord, and legal aid
- “What to say in housing court” prep sheet
- Printable document checklist (what to bring to apply, in order)
Go get it
- Rent & utility help finder (USA.gov)The main door — programs in your state and county.
- 211.org / dial 2-1-1Backup for everything — a real person who helps you apply.
- CFPBYour rights on rent, debt, and collectors, with sample letters.
Tip: if a link doesn’t open, search its name in your browser — official pages sometimes move.
Information and education only — not legal or financial advice. Programs, eligibility, and availability change and vary by location; always confirm with the official source before you act. Freesourcely is independent and not affiliated with the organizations linked here.