Rent and Emergency Assistance
By Erin Trivelas ‐ April 3, 2026
In partnership with South King County cities, MSC provides one-time rent assistance and limited resources for temporary emergencies such as utility bill assistance to individuals and families living within the city limits of Burien, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, SeaTac, and Tukwila.
Eligibility
To be eligible for rent or emergency assistance:
- You must have a verifiable emergency that prevented you from meeting your own need (car repair, unpaid sick leave, other financially taxing emergencies).
- You must demonstrate that you can pay your rent or utilities on your own the following month or that the need will go away.
- You must have a lease and your landlord must be willing to work with you to have MSC provide assistance.
- Most of our funding requires that your income equals twice your rent, and that you make up to only 50% of Area Median Income (AMI).
- You must live within the city limits for the application you complete.
Your income level must also be under 50% AMI. As of April 2025, monthly income limits are:
| 1 Person Household | $4,583 |
| 2 Person Household | $5,237 |
| 3 Person Household | $5,891 |
| 4 Person Household | $6,545 |
| 5 Person Household | $7,070 |
| 6 Person Household | $7,595 |
| 7 Person Household | $8,120 |
| 8 Person Household | $8,641 |
How to get help
Apply online and attend an in-person or phone appointment.
Online applications open on the first business day of the month at 9:00am. To apply online, select the appropriate application below based on the city where you are paying rent. If you enter the page prior to the time applications open, you will need to refresh your browser window until applications open. After you’ve applied, a staff member will contact you to schedule an appointment.
Required information and documents for your appointment include:
- Exact address of current housing and current contact information
- Current income verification and IDs for all household members 18+
- Current rental lease (all pages) and ledger from landlord for rent assistance
- Copy of utility bill needing assistance OR a copy of current rental lease and ledger if utilities are owed to landlord
- Verification of emergency and resolution plan
What to expect
- Once we have reached capacity, the online inquiry form will close and you will see a message on the application page stating when it will reopen.
- Completing an inquiry form is not a guarantee of assistance.
- When successfully submitted, you will be contacted to provide more information for your application.
Applications take at least one week to process. Please do not inquire about the status of your application until it has been over a week since you applied, as that will delay our processing times. - You must attend an in-person or phone appointment and provide all documents prior to or at your appointment.
- Assistance is not guaranteed until all documents are received, and eligibility is confirmed.
- Clients who do not submit their documents on time will be required to reapply.
- Funds available are dependent on our contracts with each city and are limited. You may only receive one-time assistance.
- Tukwila rent assistance is limited to once per lifetime, up to $1,200 amount per resident.
FAQ
Why does MSC only accept applications at certain times?
MSC can only help a limited number of people each month. To give everyone equal access, we open applications all at once for the month. We cannot accept walk-ins.
What information will I need to provide on the online application?
Our online application is an inquiry form that asks for your name, address, email, and phone number, along with your monthly rent, the amount of rent you owe, the number of people in your household, and your landlord’s name and contact information. Once you have successfully submitted an online inquiry, you will be contacted to provide further information for your application and to determine eligibility.
What if I can’t apply at the time applications are open?
You may have someone else assist you with completing an online application. That person will need to know your contact information, your rent amount, your current income, and your landlord’s name and number. They will also need to be able to provide a good time for us to contact you.
What if I tried to apply, but applications were full for the month?
As soon as the applications are full, we can no longer accept applications. We are only able to assist a limited number of households per month. Because of the growing need for assistance and our limited funding, we cannot help everyone who needs assistance. We are unable to assist 85% or more of those seeking assistance.
Related programs
Lakehaven Utility Assistance
Additional assistance with water bills may also be available for customers of Lakehaven Water District. If you have a shut-off notice for Lakehaven, please click here for more information.
Energy Assistance
MSC can help residents of South King County with their energy bill through the LIHEAP and PSE Helps programs. You may also be eligible to receive a portable AC unit. You do not need to have a shut-off notice to receive assistance.