Surviving Your First Months in America: A Newcomer’s Complete Guide to Low-Cost Temporary Housing

Most immigration guides tell you which visa to apply for, which documents to prepare, and which customs line to stand in. Almost none of them tell you what happens after you clear the airport exit doors and realize you have no idea where you are sleeping tonight.

That gap — between arrival and stability — is where thousands of immigrants lose money, time, and peace of mind every year. It is also where the most consequential financial decisions of your early life in America get made, often under pressure and without enough information. Whether you are a skilled worker on an H-1B visa navigating employer-sponsored immigration, an international student on an F-1 visa managing tuition costs and living expenses on a tight budget, a refugee with a resettlement case number, or someone who simply arrived hoping for a better life — affordable temporary housing in America exists for your specific situation. Knowing which door to knock on first can save you thousands of dollars and weeks of unnecessary hardship.

Some newcomers pay two or three times what they should for housing because they are unaware that lower-cost alternatives exist. Others are scammed out of their first month’s savings by fraudsters who specifically target new arrivals who are unfamiliar with U.S. financial systems and rental laws. Still others endure unsafe or unstable living situations for weeks because they assume the formal rental market — with its credit checks, bank account requirements, and lease agreements — is their only option, when in reality it is just one of several. This guide covers every practical alternative: from emergency nonprofit shelter to co-living platforms, furnished short-term apartments, and government-assisted housing programs. Each option is organized by how quickly you can access it, what documentation you need to qualify, and how it fits into a broader immigration financial plan.

Why the Standard American Rental Market Is Designed to Exclude New Immigrants

Here is a fact that surprises nearly every newcomer: the mainstream American apartment rental process was built for people who have spent years inside the U.S. financial system. A standard rental application assumes you have a Social Security Number established through domestic employment, a FICO credit score built through American credit card and personal loan activity, a verifiable U.S. rental history, recent pay stubs from a U.S. employer, and a domestic bank account with at least three months of statements.

Arrive without any of those things — which describes virtually every new immigrant — and a standard apartment application reads like a checklist of disqualifications.

The solution is not to falsify documentation. The solution is to understand which housing categories operate entirely outside this system, which ones have legitimate workarounds involving alternative financial credentials, and which ones are worth pursuing only after you have had time to build your American financial footprint. This guide is organized around that insight: starting with options that require nothing beyond a passport and some cash, moving through options with modest requirements, and ending with options that open up once you have begun establishing U.S. credit history and a domestic banking record.

Immediate Solutions: Housing You Can Access Today

Nonprofit Emergency Shelters for Immigrants

The fastest zero-barrier housing option for any immigrant — regardless of visa status or immigration category — is the network of nonprofit emergency shelters operating in every American city. These organizations exist specifically to house people in crisis, and most of their services are accessible without immigration paperwork.

Catholic Charities USA maintains the widest geographic reach, with more than 160 local agencies across all 50 states. Walk-in emergency shelter is available at most locations regardless of how a person entered the country. Beyond emergency accommodation, Catholic Charities offers transitional housing lasting weeks to months, plus referrals to longer-term affordable units and financial assistance programs — including emergency rental assistance grants that can prevent eviction once you have moved into a private rental.

The Salvation Army operates emergency shelters in cities nationwide with an official policy of not inquiring into residents’ immigration status. Meals, basic case management, and referrals to additional services are included at no charge. Stays can extend to six months at many locations. Their national helpline is 1-800-725-2769.

Family Promise works through a rotating model: a network of local faith congregations — churches, mosques, synagogues — host families with children, typically one week at a time, while a central day center provides a mailing address, showers, laundry, and case management. More than 200 chapters operate across 42 states. The program is free, requires no immigration documentation, and is supported by roughly 180,000 volunteers nationwide.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) provides the most structured free housing for eligible immigrants — primarily those admitted through the official refugee resettlement program — but also operates direct services for trafficking survivors, unaccompanied youth, and asylum seekers through its 29 U.S. city offices.

HIAS serves immigrants and asylum seekers across nearly 20 cities through Jewish Family Service affiliates, providing emergency housing and rental assistance grants. Contact information is available at hias.org or by calling (301) 844-7300.

Faith Community Housing Networks

Less formal but equally important, individual congregations across the United States have become a significant first line of housing support for immigrants — particularly those in vulnerable situations, including recent detainees and undocumented individuals who may not feel comfortable approaching more institutional organizations.

These networks operate through personal relationships rather than formal intake processes. A housing coordinator maintains connections with congregation members who have spare rooms, unused spaces, or host family capacity. Arrangements are community-funded, require no paperwork, and have expanded significantly in many cities in recent years. To connect with faith-based housing networks near you, call 2-1-1 — the national social services line, available 24 hours a day in over 180 languages — or request referrals through any local immigration legal aid office.

Low-Barrier Commercial Housing: Private Options Available This Week

Extended-Stay Motels: The Fastest Path to Private Shelter

When nonprofit options are not the right fit and you need private commercial housing immediately, extended-stay motel chains offer the lowest barrier to entry in the private market. Most require only a government-issued photo ID — a foreign passport qualifies — and payment for the first week. No lease. No credit check. No U.S. bank account required in most cases.

InTown Suites has built its entire business model around flexible, accessible accommodation. Roughly 195 locations across 22 states — concentrated in the South and Southeast — rent fully furnished rooms by the week at $250 to $450, with all costs bundled: a full-size refrigerator, two-burner stove, WiFi, cable, utilities, and housekeeping. Cash is accepted. No credit check is run. No lease is signed. For a newly arrived immigrant with a passport and savings in hand, InTown Suites represents the most frictionless path to immediate private shelter available in the commercial market.

WoodSpring Suites, a Choice Hotels property with more than 200 locations, offers comparable access at $300 to $500 weekly, with fully equipped kitchens and strong customer satisfaction ratings. Some locations require a debit or credit card rather than cash — confirm the specific location’s policy before arrival.

HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof prices similarly at $250 to $450 weekly, with no credit checks and a notable benefit for immigrants who traveled with pets: animals under a combined weight of 80 pounds stay free.

Extended Stay America operates the largest network in this category — over 650 locations — at a slightly higher range of $350 to $700 weekly. Their Extended Plus program rewards longer stays of 60 nights or more with meaningful discounts.

The financial comparison is worth understanding clearly. At $350 per week, the monthly equivalent is approximately $1,400 — higher than apartment rent in many secondary markets. But that figure covers all utilities, WiFi, weekly housekeeping, and fully furnished accommodations, with zero upfront cost beyond the first week and no lease obligation. When compared against the total move-in cost of a standard apartment — first month, last month, security deposit, broker fees, and furnishing costs — extended-stay accommodation is often significantly more cost-effective as a bridge housing solution during the first 30 to 90 days.

Co-Living Platforms: Apartment-Level Comfort at Accessible Prices

Co-living — private furnished rooms in managed shared homes with all costs bundled into one weekly or monthly payment — offers something close to extended-stay motel accessibility at apartment-level pricing. For budget-conscious immigrants managing tight finances, it represents a meaningful upgrade in quality and long-term cost savings.

PadSplit is the platform that matters most in this category. With over 28,000 rooms across more than 35 markets — including Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Denver, Austin, and Chicago — PadSplit charges $133 to $300 per week ($530 to $1,200 per month), covering the private room, all utilities, WiFi, furnishings, laundry access, and 24-hour telemedicine services. What makes PadSplit especially valuable for new immigrants is the absence of the usual financial barriers. No minimum credit score. No large security deposit. No long-term lease. Weekly or biweekly payment cycles. Digital approval within 48 hours in most cases. Members save an average of $366 per month compared to traditional rentals in the same markets.

For immigrants who have been in the country somewhat longer and have begun building a credit profile, Bungalow offers co-living in more than 20 cities at $800 to $1,500 monthly with utilities and cleaning included, though credit and background checks apply. Tripalink, strong in university markets including Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, and Philadelphia at $700 to $1,400 monthly, accepts international student documentation but requires either a 625-plus credit score or a qualified co-signer.

Monthly Furnished Apartments: Flexible Mid-Term Rental Accommodation

For stays of one month or longer, furnished rental platforms occupy a practical middle ground between extended-stay motels and traditional lease agreements — in both price and accessibility requirements.

Airbnb’s long-stay listings (28 nights or more) price at 30 to 40 percent below standard nightly rates, landing at $1,400 to $2,200 monthly for a furnished one-bedroom in moderately priced cities. In high-cost metropolitan areas, the range extends to $2,800 to $4,500 or more. Private rooms in shared homes on the same platform run $700 to $1,400. The booking process requires only a passport and a payment card — no Social Security Number, no credit check, no lease.

Furnished Finder, originally built for traveling healthcare workers and now broadly useful across industries, hosts over 300,000 listings with 30-day minimum stays. Direct landlord-to-renter contact creates genuine flexibility: many property owners waive formal credit checks for furnished short-term stays and are willing to negotiate documentation requirements. The platform ranked among the top real estate platforms nationally in 2025.

June Homes specifically markets to visa holders and international renters in major metropolitan markets, with visa-friendly applications and no broker fees — a useful option in cities like New York and Washington D.C. where broker fees alone can equal one full month’s rent.

Affordable Shared Housing: Making Your Housing Budget Go Further

Room Rentals, Roommate Networks, and Immigrant Community Housing

Sharing a home with other residents is the most cost-effective private-market housing option available to immigrants in most American cities. A private room in a shared house or apartment typically costs $500 to $1,400 per month — often less than half of a solo apartment in the same neighborhood, and without the financial documentation requirements that accompany a standard lease.

SpareRoom, the leading U.S. roommate platform, publishes regular market data. Their 2025 figures show average private room costs of approximately $1,530 in New York City, $1,354 in Boston, $1,400 in the Bay Area, $992 in Chicago, $881 in Philadelphia, $891 in Austin, $890 in Houston, and $872 in Las Vegas. Close to 40 percent of listings come from live-in landlords renting rooms in their own homes — people who are generally far more willing to work with non-standard documentation than corporate property management companies.

The housing resource that no mainstream platform can replicate is the immigrant community network. These informal systems — operating through WeChat groups for Chinese-speaking communities, WhatsApp and Facebook groups for Latin American immigrants, platforms like Sulekha for South Asian newcomers, and equivalent networks for dozens of other communities — move faster, require less paperwork, and carry a level of community trust that anonymous platforms cannot match. A room sourced through a trusted referral within a shared cultural community is fundamentally different from a cold transaction on a public marketplace. These networks should be your first search, not a last resort.

Craigslist generates volume but requires significant caution. Verify every listing through county property records, reverse-image-search all listing photos through Google Lens, and treat any request for money before an in-person viewing as an immediate disqualifier. The platform is the source of a disproportionate share of rental fraud specifically targeting new immigrants.

Room pricing across shared housing varies by configuration: shared bedrooms cost $300 to $700 monthly (common in high-cost cities where new arrivals are prioritizing savings over privacy), private rooms with shared bathrooms run $600 to $1,500, private rooms with ensuite bathrooms range from $800 to $2,000, and basement apartments with private entrances fall between $700 and $1,500.

Specialized Programs: Housing Built for Specific Immigrant Categories

The U.S. Refugee Resettlement Housing Program

For immigrants who entered the United States through the official refugee admissions program, the housing experience is entirely different from the private-market navigation described above. Through the federal Reception and Placement program, administered by the U.S. Department of State, eligible refugees are placed into fully furnished, cost-free housing before they even land.

Local resettlement agency staff spend weeks before each family’s arrival locating an appropriate apartment, signing the lease, furnishing every room, stocking the kitchen with culturally appropriate food, and setting up utilities. A caseworker meets the family at the airport. The family walks directly into a prepared home with no rental application, no credit check, and no upfront payment.

Seven agencies currently manage this work nationally through approximately 200 local offices: Church World Service, the Ethiopian Community Development Council, HIAS, the International Rescue Committee, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Global Refuge, and World Relief. Free housing through Reception and Placement covers 30 to 90 days. The Matching Grant program then extends comprehensive support — covering housing, utilities, food, transportation, and a monthly cash allowance — for up to 180 to 240 additional days, with a historical self-sufficiency rate above 84 percent at program completion.

Eligibility is restricted to officially admitted refugees, certain Special Immigrant Visa holders from Iraq and Afghanistan, and specific categories of trafficking survivors. Asylum seekers who arrive independently do not qualify for Reception and Placement. Note that the program contracted significantly following early 2025 policy changes that suspended the Refugee Admissions Program and set the FY2026 admission ceiling at historic lows.

International Student Housing: F-1 and J-1 Visa Options

Students on F-1 or J-1 visas have access to institutional housing infrastructure that most other visa categories do not. University dormitories and residence halls cost $5,000 to $18,000 annually (with a national average of approximately $13,000), typically including utilities and WiFi with meal plans often bundled in. Most universities require first-year undergraduate students to live on campus, providing an automatic housing solution during the first year while international students build financial roots in the United States.

Homestay programs — living with an American host family — offer a structured alternative at $700 to $1,200 monthly including meals. Major placement services include StudentRoomStay, Universal Student Housing, and the American Homestay Network, all of which charge one-time placement fees of $200 to $400. International Student Services offices at most universities maintain off-campus housing databases, offer lease review assistance, and connect students with peer networks — all resources worth using regardless of where a student ultimately chooses to live.

Off-campus options for international students include purpose-built student housing complexes, co-living platforms like Tripalink that specialize in student markets, and the same room rental and shared housing options available to any renter.

YMCA Residential Housing Programs

A meaningful number of YMCA branches continue to operate residential housing at significantly below-market rates — an underused resource that many newly arrived immigrants overlook.

The Irving Park YMCA in Chicago offers over 200 furnished rooms beginning under $400 monthly. The McGaw YMCA in Evanston, Illinois, charges $142 to $186 weekly ($570 to $745 monthly) with no application fee, no lease, and no security deposit. The Gateway Family YMCA in Elizabeth, New Jersey, operates both men’s and women’s transitional housing funded through municipal partnerships. YWCA branches in many cities prioritize women and families escaping domestic violence, typically accessed through referrals via 2-1-1.

Government Housing Assistance: Public Housing and Section 8 Vouchers

HUD-administered public housing and Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers are available to lawful permanent residents, refugees, asylees, and certain other qualifying immigration categories — but not to undocumented immigrants, most temporary visa holders, or DACA recipients. The structural challenge is timing: waitlists run one to five years nationally, extending to a decade or more in New York City, and periodically closing entirely in Los Angeles. These programs matter enormously for long-term affordable housing and should be applied for as early as eligibility allows — but they cannot address immediate post-arrival housing needs.

Emergency shelter programs funded through HUD’s Emergency Solutions Grants carry fewer immigration restrictions and are generally accessible regardless of status.

State-level protections also vary considerably. California prohibits landlords from requiring immigration status documentation and maintains emergency rental assistance funds for undocumented residents excluded from federal programs. New York City’s Right to Shelter policy requires the city to house any individual presenting as homeless, regardless of immigration status. Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance restricts immigration-related inquiries by city employees.

Getting Past the Documentation Barrier: Renting Without a Social Security Number

Alternatives to SSN and U.S. Credit History

A Social Security Number is not legally required to rent housing in the United States. No federal statute mandates it. What landlords who request an SSN are actually seeking is a mechanism to run a credit check — and that concern can almost always be addressed through alternative documentation.

An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), available from the IRS through Form W-7, serves as an alternative identifier accepted by many tenant screening services and functions as an SSN substitute in the majority of landlord conversations. It is the most broadly useful identification document for immigrants navigating U.S. financial systems, housing applications, tax filing obligations, and eventually personal loan or banking product applications.

When credit history is the underlying concern, strong financial documentation makes a compelling case: six months of bank statements demonstrating consistent income and savings, an employment offer letter confirming salary, or pay stubs from any employer. The most persuasive offer, however, is money in hand: prepaying two to six months of rent removes essentially all financial risk for the landlord and converts a screening process into a negotiation in your favor.

Nova Credit operates a credit translation service — the Credit Passport — that converts established credit records from participating countries (currently including Nigeria, India, Mexico, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Korea, and others) into an American-format report that landlords can read through integrations with major property management platforms. For immigrants from these countries with documented home-country credit histories, this service directly bridges the credit gap without requiring any U.S. financial history.

Where a lease guarantor is required and no domestic co-signer is available, two specialist services specifically cover non-U.S. applicants: Insurent (primarily Northeast markets and major metropolitan areas, charging approximately one month’s rent annually, no U.S. credit required) and TheGuarantors (nationwide, 7 to 10 percent of annual rent).

How to Build U.S. Credit History Quickly After Arrival

Six months of consistent, responsible use of a U.S. credit account is typically sufficient to establish a baseline FICO credit score — the threshold that opens the standard rental market, auto loan applications, and eventually mortgage pre-qualification.

Firstcard requires neither an SSN nor an ITIN. Sable Card requires no Social Security Number, ITIN, or prior credit history and pairs a bank account with a credit-building card in a single application. Petal evaluates banking behavior rather than credit scores, making it accessible to immigrants who have documented financial history abroad but no American credit record. With responsible monthly use of any of these products, a functional U.S. credit profile — the foundation for rental applications, personal loans, car financing, and eventual mortgage products — can be established within six months of arrival.

Protecting Yourself: Rental Scams and Your Legal Rights as a Tenant

How Rental Fraud Specifically Targets Immigrants

Rental fraud costs immigrants tens of millions of dollars annually. Scammers target newcomers deliberately — language barriers, unfamiliarity with U.S. market pricing, and understandable reluctance to involve law enforcement make immigrants disproportionately profitable victims.

The pattern is consistent regardless of platform. An attractive listing appears at a price slightly below market — compelling enough to generate interest, not so low as to seem impossible. Contact with the supposed landlord reveals they are traveling or dealing with a personal emergency and cannot show the property. A deposit, first month’s rent, or holding fee is requested via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, gift cards, Venmo, or Zelle — payment methods specifically chosen because they are difficult or impossible to recover once sent. After payment, all contact disappears.

One rule eliminates most of this risk: never send money before meeting the landlord in person at the property. Beyond that: reverse-image-search every listing photo through Google Lens, since stolen photos from legitimate listings are the most common element of rental fraud. Look up the property address in your county assessor’s or property records database to confirm actual ownership. Search the landlord’s name and phone number independently. Require a written rental agreement before any payment changes hands.

Report suspected fraud to local police, the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Most prosecutors’ offices accept fraud complaints regardless of the victim’s immigration status.

Your Legal Rights as a Renter in the United States

Every person renting housing in the United States — regardless of visa category, regardless of how they entered the country — has enforceable legal rights that landlords cannot override.

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in every aspect of the rental process based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, or disability. HUD enforces this law without inquiring into the complainant’s immigration status. A landlord who rejects an application because of an applicant’s accent, country of origin, or perceived ethnicity may be committing a federal civil rights violation.

Every renter is entitled to habitable housing — functional heating, plumbing, structural integrity, and freedom from pest infestations. Landlords must provide reasonable advance notice before entering an occupied unit. Eviction requires formal legal process: written notice, a court proceeding, and if the tenant loses, execution by a court officer. Illegal lockouts — changing locks, cutting utilities, or removing a tenant’s belongings without following this process — expose landlords to significant legal liability. Security deposits must be returned with an itemized accounting of any deductions within the timeframe specified by state law, typically 14 to 30 days.

File housing discrimination complaints with HUD at 1-800-669-9777. Find free tenant legal assistance through LawHelp.org, ImmigrationLawHelp.org, or your city’s local legal aid organization.

City-by-City Housing Cost Snapshot for Immigrants

New York City: Average one-bedroom approximately $3,545/month. Budget rooms in immigrant neighborhoods — Jackson Heights, Flushing, Washington Heights, Flatbush — run $800 to $1,500. Legal right to shelter applies regardless of status. Free municipal ID (IDNYC) available without immigration documentation. Housing lotteries at housingconnect.nyc.gov. Immigrant affairs hotline: 800-354-0365.

Los Angeles: Average one-bedroom approximately $2,231/month. Rooms in East LA, Boyle Heights, Koreatown, and Panorama City: $600 to $1,100. State law prohibits landlords from requiring immigration documentation. Shelter referrals through LAHSA: (213) 225-6581. Tenant resources at stayhousedla.org.

Houston: Average one-bedroom approximately $1,078/month — among the most affordable major immigrant destinations in the country. Rooms in Gulfton, Alief, and Sharpstown: $400 to $700. City immigrant services: (832) 393-1010. Resource database: accesshou.org.

Chicago: Average one-bedroom approximately $1,584/month. Rooms in Little Village, Albany Park, Rogers Park, and Devon Avenue: $500 to $900. Welcoming City policy limits immigration inquiries by city staff. World Relief asylum seeker rental assistance covers up to $15,000 over six months. Support line: 1-855-435-7693.

Miami: Average one-bedroom approximately $1,756/month. Budget rooms in Hialeah, Little Havana, Sweetwater, and Little Haiti: $600 to $1,000. United Way referrals via 211. Americans for Immigrant Justice provides legal services for asylum seekers.

Dallas: Average one-bedroom approximately $1,209/month. Rooms in Vickery Meadow, Oak Cliff, and Irving: $450 to $750. Catholic Charities Dallas and Refugee Services of Texas serve the region’s large and diverse immigrant population.

Atlanta: Average one-bedroom approximately $1,402/month. Rooms in Clarkston and along the Buford Highway corridor: $500 to $800. IRC Atlanta, World Relief, and the Latin American Association all provide direct housing assistance.

A Staged Roadmap: From Airport Arrival to Stable, Long-Term Affordable Housing

The transition from clearing immigration at the airport to stable, long-term housing is best understood as a four-phase progression, each with its own priorities, tools, and financial milestones.

Phase One — The First Week: The only goal is safe shelter with minimal barriers. Immigrants with cash and a passport go directly to an InTown Suites, WoodSpring Suites, or PadSplit listing in their destination city — all accept foreign passports, skip credit checks, and offer same-day or next-day access. Immigrants without immediate cash or in more precarious situations call 2-1-1 immediately upon clearing customs. Refugees with resettlement case numbers contact their assigned agency if pre-arranged housing communication has broken down.

Phase Two — The First Month: The focus shifts from emergency shelter to sustainable housing that does not erode your savings. Room rentals through SpareRoom, ethnic community networks, or Furnished Finder offer the best combination of affordability and livability. Airbnb monthly stays suit those prioritizing flexibility. This phase should also include beginning the financial setup that makes Phase Three possible: opening a U.S. bank account, applying for an ITIN, and activating a secured credit card.

Phase Three — Months Two Through Six: Financial infrastructure begins to mature. Six months of U.S. banking history, an ITIN in hand, and a credit card used responsibly for several months starts generating a domestic credit score. Nova Credit can translate home-country credit history into American-format landlord applications for eligible nationalities. Traditional apartment leases, co-living options with modest credit requirements, and a broader range of furnished rental and mid-term accommodation options all become accessible during this window.

Phase Four — Beyond Six Months: A documented U.S. credit history, bank statements showing consistent income, and a valid ITIN or Social Security Number open essentially the full private rental market. For qualifying immigrants — particularly refugees and asylees — government-assisted housing applications filed in earlier phases may be approaching the front of waiting lists by this point, unlocking long-term rental affordability that is otherwise very difficult to access.

Housing in America rewards persistence and preparation. The immigrants who navigate it most successfully are not always the ones with the most money on arrival — they are the ones who understand the system well enough to use each tool at the right moment.

Quick Reference: Essential Contacts and Housing Resources

Emergency help: Dial 2-1-1 from any phone, any time, in any of 180 languages for local housing, food, and financial assistance referrals.

Crisis and emergency housing:

• HUD Housing Counseling: 1-800-569-4287
• Salvation Army: 1-800-725-2769
• HUD Fair Housing Complaints: 1-800-669-9777

Platforms to search first:

• PadSplit (padsplit.com) — no credit check co-living, 48-hour move-in
• SpareRoom (spareroom.com) — largest U.S. room rental marketplace
• Furnished Finder (furnishedfinder.com) — direct landlord contact, 30-day minimum stays
• Airbnb (airbnb.com) — passport accepted, no credit check, 28-plus night discounts
• June Homes (junehomes.com) — visa-friendly applications, no broker fees

Credit and documentation tools:

• Nova Credit (novacredit.com) — international credit history transfer service
• Firstcard (firstcard.app) — secured credit card requiring no SSN or ITIN
• Sable Card (sablecard.com) — banking and credit building without U.S. credit history
• Insurent (insurent.com) — lease guarantor service for non-U.S. applicants
• IRS ITIN information (irs.gov/tin) — apply for your Individual Taxpayer Identification Number

Free legal help:

• ImmigrationLawHelp.org — nationwide directory of nonprofit immigration legal services
• LawHelp.org — free tenant and civil legal assistance by state
• National Housing Law Project (nhlp.org) — tenant rights resources and advocacy