Most states also offer weatherizations which include an energy audit of your home, the necessary materials for insulating homes and apartments, and sometimes the labor. Utility companies in some areas, provide free energy audits and advice on weatherizing homes to reduce energy costs. Check with your local Community Action Agency for further information on these items. Another government area of assistance comes through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. They have administered the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program since 1968 and, more recently, the Housing Voucher Program.
Some states also administer a rental assistance program.
Rental assistance programs provide rent subsidies to low-income households, enabling them to live in privately owned housing while paying no more than 30 percent of their income for rent. Each unit leased under rental assistance programs must be certified as meeting the sanitary code by the local health inspector.