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Benton County, WA — Housing & Help Directory (Updated September 2026)

Mysti's News
11 hours ago
6 min read

Updated: 6 hours ago

This is Mysti's working directory of housing and help resources for Benton County, Washington (Kennewick, Richland, Prosser, Benton City and surrounding areas). Every link below was opened and every waitlist status was quoted from its source on September 19, 2026. We re-check the whole page monthly (next refresh: October 2026). Statuses change without notice — confirm directly with the agency before you count on anything.

A straight word about rent help: Mysti's helps some clients with move-in, rent, or utility costs, but only through specific funded programs, only when you meet that program's eligibility, and only while funds last. Nobody — not us, not any agency — can promise it. Work your county's Coordinated Entry, 2-1-1, housing authorities, and the local programs below at the same time as anything you do with us.

Start here — today

Housing authorities and waitlists

Apply to every list you qualify for — including neighboring counties you could realistically move to. See what is open statewide right now and the statewide programs guide for vouchers, public housing, and how portability works.

Kennewick Housing Authority (KHA)

Website · (509) 582-4243 (office; see contact page) · Serves: Cities of Kennewick and Richland and Benton County, WA (Richland has no separate housing authority; richlandhousing.org is an unrelated South Carolina agency…

  • CLOSED — Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) — "Current Status – Closed. The Waitlist is currently Closed. KHA is NOT accepting applications for the Housing Choice Voucher (familiarly known as Section 8) wait list at this time." Watch kennewickha.org and the Tri-City Herald for a public notice announcing when the waitlist reopens; applications accepted only during the announced window. Page also notes estimated wait once open could be 6 months to 2 years. (not accepting applications; check for reopening; checked 2026-09-19 · source)

  • STATUS NOT POSTED ONLINE — Public Housing / Property waitlists Apply during an announced open window; check kennewickha.org/housing-programs/public-housing-program/ for current openings. The page's stated closing date (9/17/2026) had already passed as of this check (9/19/2026) and the page had not been updated; current true status of the 1-bedroom list could not… (call or check the site to confirm; checked 2026-09-19 · source)

Housing Authority of the City of Pasco & Franklin County (HACPFC)

Website · (509) 547-3581 · Serves: Note: primarily Franklin County/Pasco, but Kennewick HA's Housing Choice Voucher eligibility rules reference joint jurisdiction with 'the Pasco Housing…

Nonprofit housing you can apply to directly

  • Catholic Charities Housing Services / Catholic Charities Serving Central Washington – Tri-Cities — Low-income individuals and families; also low-income seniors 62+ in dedicated senior properties; farmworker housing developments in the region. Contact individual properties listed on catholiccharitiescw.org/housing/multi-family-rental-properties directly. Site lists properties by community; specific unit-level availability not published; contact property managers directly. Apply / availability

  • Community Action Connections (BFCAC) Housing Assistance / REACH — Households at imminent risk of or experiencing literal homelessness; six-county service region (Benton, Franklin and surrounding counties). Currently not accepting new applications; monitor bfcac.org or their Facebook page for reopening. "Currently not accepting new housing applications. Please check back regularly for updates." (quoted from site, checked 2026-09-19)

Senior housing (55+ / 62+) and housing for people with disabilities

How to find open senior housing anywhere in Washington: step-by-step in the statewide guide.

Rent help and eviction prevention (funding-dependent)

These programs open and close as funding arrives and runs out, often within weeks. Call first, ask what is open today, and ask what documents to bring. If you have an eviction notice, contact the legal help below the same day — do not move out just because you received a notice.

  • REACH Program (Community Action Connections/BFCAC) · 509-545-4042 (Benton Franklin Community Action Connections) — Households at imminent risk of or experiencing literal homelessness; households with a notice to vacate for non-payment. Currently not accepting new applications as of 2026-09-19; check site/Facebook for reopening. Funding-dependent; confirm current availability before referring clients.

  • Benton County Housing Resource Center rental/mortgage/utility assistance · 509-737-3946 (Benton County Human Services) — Households homeless or at risk of homelessness; screened via walk-in coordinated entry. Walk-in Tue-Wed-Thu 8am-4pm at 7102 W. Okanogan Place Suite 201, Kennewick. Assistance limited to once every 6 months; up to 3 months rent arrears; payments made directly to landlords per site.

Shelter and crisis housing

  • Benton County Housing Resource Center – Homeless Shelters list · 509-737-3946 — People experiencing homelessness in Benton/Franklin County-maintained shelter directory; call 2-1-1 or the Housing Resource Center for current bed availability.

Food

Utilities and energy bills

Legal help and tenant rights

Veterans

Youth and families

Seniors and people with disabilities — services

Local directories and newsletters

Notes from our check

Richland, WA has no separate housing authority; richlandhousing.org loaded but is Richland County Housing Authority, Columbia, SC — excluded per non-negotiable rule. Kennewick Housing Authority's own site states it serves Kennewick, Richland, and Benton County. Kennewick Public Housing 1-bedroom waitlist window (8/17/26-9/17/26) had technically expired as of the 9/19/26 check with no page update; flagged unknown rather than assumed closed or open. Two different phone numbers appear for the Benton/Franklin VSO across two official WA state/county sources; both listed.

How Mysti's fits in

Mysti's Adult & Family Services — Washington provides case management, housing navigation and benefit navigation, including Foundational Community Supports (FCS) supportive housing and supported employment for people on Apple Health, and Community Choice Guide services for DSHS clients. New here? Read Need help with housing? Start here, then message us through our contact page or email help@mysticares.org · (800) 524-4827. We will screen your situation and point you to the right door — with us or elsewhere.

Already a Mysti's client? Your case manager is your first call. If you cannot reach them, email help@mysticares.org with your name, county, and the best way to reach you, and use the resources on this page in the meantime — every door on this list is open to you whether or not we are the ones walking you through it.

Partners and case managers: refer through our Partners & Referrals page. Send county, contact details, Apple Health status and housing situation; please do not email medical details.

Learn while you wait

Free, self-paced courses from Mysti's: Housing Search Bootcamp, Speak Up (self-advocacy), Budgeting for Stability, and short guides to SNAP, ABD/HEN, Apple Health, TANF, SSI/SSDI and McKinney-Vento school rights — open the Free Learning Programs. A free member account is all you need.

Get Benton County updates once a month

Want to know when a waitlist opens, a senior building starts taking applications, or a new program launches in your county? Tell us which counties and topics you care about and we will email you one short update a month — no more, and you can stop any time.

Found a broken link or a status that changed? Email help@mysticares.org and we will fix it in the next refresh. Last full check: September 19, 2026.

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