Sioux City Security Deposit Assistance is designed to provide security deposit assistance to eligible households if they have no other means of obtaining a security deposit, in order to secure rental housing in Sioux City city limits. Sioux City Neighborhood Services Division is the administrator of the program funded by the Community Development Block Grant and determines eligibility. Neighborhood Services Division provides guarantees of rental security deposits based on program guidelines to eligible persons. The tenant is responsible to make monthly rental payments.

If you have found an apartment and need assistance with a security deposit, please download an application from our website or contact Holly at 712-224-5250 or hbathurst@sioux-city.org for more information. Applications are accepted from 7:00 a.m.  to 5:30 p.m. at 521 Nebraska Street Monday through Friday excluding holidays.

Please note this is not an emergency service. Your application will be processed in the order it was received, and can take up to five business days from the time a completed application has been received for a decision to be made as to whether the application is accepted or denied.

Security Deposit Amount Which Can Be Approved Will Be the Lowest # of A, B, C, or D

Option A

Option B

Option C

Actual rent for the home.

Option D

SECURITY DEPOSIT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM GUIDELINES

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE you complete an application.

• If you (Tenant) are already living in the unit, you are NOT eligible for this program - this is only for people who have NOT yet moved in or have possession (have keys) of a rental unit.  You cannot move in or have possession of the rental unit until AFTER your application has been reviewed AND approved by the Sioux City Neighborhood Services Division staff.

• Tenant MUST currently have income and have had income for the past 30 days. If you just started a job last week and did not work for three weeks prior to that, your application will be denied

• Proposed rent plus utility allowance cannot exceed 50% of the household’s gross monthly income (before taxes). Tenants must have the ability to maintain monthly housing costs (rent + utilities) to qualify. See examples below. 

•  If the rent is $550 with all utilities included and the household’s gross (before taxes) monthly income is $800, you would NOT qualify.$800 x 50% = $400 and is less than $550 rent
• If you want to rent a two bedroom house and tenant pays all utilities ($650 rent + $155 utility allowance = $805), the Tenant’s gross monthly income would have to be AT LEAST $1,615.$1,615 x 50% = $808 and it is MORE than $805 (rent + utility allowance)

• The Tenant MUST provide a valid picture identification (Iowa driver’s license, state ID, or other federal picture ID document) and social security cards for everyone in the house 18 years of age and older.
  
  
• Please note that this is not an emergency service. Your application will be processed in the order it is received, and can take up to five business days from the time a completed application has been received for a decision to be made as to whether the application is accepted or denied.
   
• When your completed application is received, as well as all required information listed on the Application Attachments Checklist on page 10, you will be contacted by the Neighborhood Services staff. The amount of security deposit assistance that we will pay your landlord will be based on the unit selected for rent and the number of people in your household.
   
• Under no circumstances will assistance be approved if it results in overcrowding the unit. No more than two people to a bedroom plus one.
   
• Tenants with a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8), are not eligible for this program, unless you can provide documentation that you don't qualify for a security deposit from the Section 8 program.
   
• Our contact with you will be by telephone and email. You must provide a phone number to be reached. If you are not available and do not return our call/email within 72 hours, we will determine you are no longer interested in receiving assistance. Applications are accepted from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding holidays.
   
• Applicants are only eligible once every two (2) years.
  
  
• The Security Deposit Assistance program is provided by funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.
  
  
• Income Limits – To be eligible for Security Deposit Assistance, your total household income may not exceed 80% of the median income for Sioux City, Iowa as indicated below.

• 1 person family $51,550	5 person family $79,500
  2 person family $58,900	6 person family $85,400
  3 person family $66,250	7 person family $91,300
  4 person family $73,600	8 person family $97,200

                 Effective 6/1/2025

  Please fill out the application (all of the pages) and drop it off at 521 Nebraska Street.  You may also mail it to:

  City of Sioux City Neighborhood Services Division

  PO Box 447

  Sioux City, IA  51102

  It is very important that you include all required items from the Application Attachments Checklist on page 10 (i.e. bank statements, tax return, etc.).  If you do not turn in these items, your application will not be considered.  We can make copies of your attachments for you when you drop off the application.

  Once your application is submitted, City staff will contact you by phone if additional information is needed.

  Thank you for your interest in this program!

   

Attachments

• Security Deposit Application