I have a place to stay, but not my own housing

Do you need emergency housing? Call 211 for help, or click here.

Get Permanent Housing

Southwestern Community Services (SCS) and Keene Housing can help get you into more permanent housing. You are encouraged to apply for housing with both organizations at the same time – there are waiting lists for both.

SCS Housing Programs

SCS has affordable housing for families and senior citizens throughout the Monadnock Region.

Family housing is in Keene, Drewsville, Swanzey and Winchester. Senior citizen housing is in Charlestown, Keene, Marlborough, Newport, Swanzey, Rindge, Troy, and Winchester.

Find more information on the housing properties and to apply, go here.

If you need help paying rent, a security deposit or utilities at your new housing, apply online here for the N.H. Emergency Rental Assistance program. Get more information here

To get help with this application from Southwestern Community Services, contact Theresa Derry at tderry@scshelps.org or 603-719-4281.  

SCS can also help you pay for a security deposit through a loan program. Apply here. For more information contact Lori Hathaway at lhathaway@scshelps.org or 603-719-4226.

Keene Housing Programs

Keene Housing has two voucher programs:

  1. Housing Choice – allows you to apply the voucher to your monthly rent at apartments owned by private landlords, including Southwestern Community Services. 
  1. The second type of voucher subsidizes your rent when you live at a Keene Housing property.

Keene Housing has properties for individuals and families, and two properties especially for senior citizens and people with disabilities.  Properties are located in Keene and Swanzey. 

First, fill out this pre-application if you’re looking for a Housing Choice voucher for an apartment, or to live in a Keene Housing property.

When you get to the top of the wait list, you will be scheduled for an eligibility appointment. 

Do you need help filling out an application? Call 603-352-6161 or stop by an open application session Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 831 Court St., Keene.

Other options:

You can also apply for a Housing Choice voucher through N.H. Housing.

Lists of private landlords with apartments available throughout New Hampshire can be found here. The “market rate vacant unit list” shows available apartments, but you need to check whether they accept a Housing Choice voucher. The “subsidized vacant unit list” shows properties that receive federal money that allows them to offer lower rents to people who qualify for them (because of this, they don’t accept vouchers).

N.H. Housing also puts together a list of housing developments throughout the state for people with low income or senior citizens. The directory of assisted housing can be found here.

For more information from N.H. Housing, you can call them at 603-472-8623  or  800-640-7239 or email info@nhhfa.org.

Need Additional Assistance?

Get help from the human services or welfare office in your town, which can help with housing, utilities and more.

Sources: Southwestern Community Services and Keene Housing