top of page
Search

Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz County, Washington (Longview, Kelso, Kalama, Castle Rock, Woodland 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.

Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington (HOSWWA)

Website · (360) 423-0140; Toll Free (866) 570-8840; Fax (360) 425-9930 · Serves: City of Longview, unincorporated Cowlitz County (excluding Kelso and Kalama), Lewis County, Pacific County, Wahkiakum County

  • STATUS NOT POSTED ONLINE — Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Apply online at https://www.hoswwaconnect.org/ per the site banner, or call (360) 423-0140 ext. 1000. The page carries two conflicting statements: a current site-wide banner (also on hoswwa.org/housing-vouchers/) announcing the HCV waitlist opened Sept 15, 2026 online-only at… (call or check the site to confirm; checked 2026-09-19 · source)

  • CLOSED — Non-Elderly Disabled (NED) HCV — "Closed" Contact (360) 423-0140 ext. 1000 117 families on list per table dated 'Updated 02/18/2021' — may be stale; call to confirm. (not accepting applications; check for reopening; checked 2026-09-19 · source)

  • STATUS NOT POSTED ONLINE — Reliable Homes PBV, Centralia WA (1BR, homeless) Call 360-736-9558 ext. 124 Table lists a phone number rather than an explicit open/closed word; call to confirm status. (call or check the site to confirm; checked 2026-09-19 · source)

  • STATUS NOT POSTED ONLINE — Raymond Manor PBV, Raymond WA (1BR, 62+/disabled) Call 360-942-2571 Table lists a phone number rather than an explicit open/closed word; call to confirm status. (call or check the site to confirm; checked 2026-09-19 · source)

Kelso Housing Authority (KHA)

Website · (360) 423-3490 · Serves: City of Kelso and Kalama, WA

  • STATUS NOT POSTED ONLINE — Public Housing (100 units Kelso + 16 units Kalama per homepage; 116 total per housing page) https://kelsohousing.org/apply No explicit open/closed waitlist statement found on homepage or housing page during this check; 'View our waitlist page for more information on open properties' referenced but a… (call or check the site to confirm; checked 2026-09-19 · source)

  • STATUS NOT POSTED ONLINE — Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) — over 300 vouchers https://kelsohousing.org/apply No explicit waitlist open/closed statement found on the pages checked; call (360) 423-3490 to confirm. (call or check the site to confirm; checked 2026-09-19 · source)

Nonprofit housing you can apply to directly

  • Community House on Broadway (CHOB) — Homeless individuals and families in Cowlitz County (must be clean & sober per Love Overwhelming's shelter comparison) Contact via site; phone (360) 425-8679 per Love Overwhelming's shelter comparison table. Also developing a youth shelter, 'Beth's Place.'

  • Love Overwhelming — Individuals/families facing housing instability or crisis in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum Counties Walk-in 1422 12th Ave, Longview, WA 98632, Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; phone (360) 846-0272. Provides Coordinated Entry access point, severe weather shelter, rent/eviction help, and housing voucher navigation; not itself a housing provider with units.

  • Lower Columbia CAP — Low-income households in Cowlitz/Wahkiakum region Contact 360-425-3430

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

No senior-specific subsidized building was confirmed in this county on this check. Use the senior-housing search steps in the statewide guide (HUD Resource Locator, Housing Search NW, the housing authority's elderly/disabled lists) and ask the Area Agency on Aging below.

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.

  • Love Overwhelming — Rent & Eviction Help · (360) 846-0272 (Love Overwhelming) — Cowlitz County renters at risk of eviction Call or walk in at 1422 12th Ave, Longview, WA 98632 Funding-dependent; confirm current availability by phone.

  • Lower Columbia CAP — LIHEAP energy/rent assistance · 360-425-3430 (Lower Columbia CAP) — Low-income households Apply per site's LIHEAP calendar link Site banner: '2025-2026 LIHEAP program is now OPEN. Please note the application process has changed.'

Shelter and crisis housing

  • Community House on Broadway · (360) 425-8679 — Homeless adults & families (clean & sober requirement) Substance-free shelter; also runs Beth's Place youth shelter (in development).

  • Love Overwhelming — Severe Weather / Navigation Shelter · (360) 846-0272 — Anyone, regardless of sobriety (low-barrier) Pop-up shelter activated during freezing/extreme heat; otherwise navigates to available options nightly.

  • Emergency Support Shelter · (360) 425-1176 — Domestic violence victims Phone sourced from Love Overwhelming's shelter comparison table; independent site URL not verified on this check.

  • Family Promise of Cowlitz County · (360) 703-3131 — Families with children only Phone sourced from Love Overwhelming's shelter comparison table; independent site URL not verified on this check.

Food

Utilities and energy bills

  • Lower Columbia CAP LIHEAP · 360-425-3430 — 2025-2026 LIHEAP energy assistance program open as of site check; application process changed — see liheapcalendar.com/LCCAP link on site.

Legal help and tenant rights

Veterans

  • HUD-VASH — Apply through local VA medical center; regional VASH is concentrated in Vancouver per Clark County reporting — confirm availability for Cowlitz veterans directly with VA.

Youth and families

  • Beth's Place (Community House on Broadway) — Youth shelter in development per Community House on Broadway's site.

Seniors and people with disabilities — services

  • Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington · See helpingelders.org/contact-us for the Cowlitz office listing (Clark office confirmed at 360-735-5720; Cowlitz-specific number not captured on this check) — Covers Clark, Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties per the agency's own site.

Local directories and newsletters

Notes from our check

Kelso Housing Authority's site references a 'waitlist page' but no distinct URL with explicit open/closed language was found. www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/2540/Coordinated-Entry is a JavaScript-driven CivicPlus page that returned no usable body text; used Love Overwhelming's page (a verified Access Point) as the substantive Coordinated Entry source instead.

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 Cowlitz 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.

bottom of page