Rent and Utility Assistance, Delivered with Speed, Accuracy, and Equity

Launch and manage housing stability programs that get help to residents—fast.

Keep Residents Housed. Keep Programs Compliant.

FORWARD provides a secure, centralized platform to launch, manage, and report on rent and utility assistance programs—quickly and at scale. From intake to disbursement to audit, we help public agencies and nonprofits deliver critical support without delays.

Trusted by Over 1,500 Governments & Nonprofits

Purpose-Built Tools for Rent & Utility Assistance Programs

Easy-to-Use Applications

Launch multilingual, mobile-friendly forms in minutes—tailored to local program rules and funding requirements.

Automated Eligibility & Document Review

Set income and household criteria, verify documentation, and flag applications for follow-up automatically.

Secure Payment Processing

Disburse payments directly to landlords, utility providers, or tenants with full tracking and fraud prevention.

Real-Time Dashboards & Reporting

Monitor program metrics, disbursement status, and demographic reach with audit-ready exports and funder-aligned reporting.

Trusted by Leading Governments and Nonprofits Nationwide

Real World Impact

St. Louis Unifies Rent and Utility Relief with Centralized Application and Community Outreach

The City and County of St. Louis partnered with FORWARD to deliver $34.8M in rent and utility relief to over 7,600 households, averaging $4,585 per award.

FORWARD launched a unified application portal, automated eligibility checks, and partnered with 14+ local organizations for outreach and multilingual support.

Key results:

• 14+ community partners engaged in outreach
• 1,620 legacy applications reviewed and integrated
• 100% of applications cross-checked to prevent benefit duplication
• Compliance met with all U.S. Treasury reporting deadlines

Program Use Cases

• Emergency rental assistance
• Utility bill payment support
• Eviction prevention and diversion programs
• Weather-related or disaster housing relief
• Ongoing housing stability initiatives

Ready to Power Your Housing Stability Program?

Let’s talk. We’ll show you how FORWARD can help your team deliver rent and utility relief—fast, securely, and at scale.

Launch Quickly. Stay Compliant. Serve Equitably.

FORWARD makes it easy to start or scale a rent and utility assistance program—with tools built for public accountability and impact.

End-to-end support for program staff and applicants
No-code program configuration
Centralized communication and case tracking