Financial Assistance

Hopelink’s Financial Assistance Program supports individuals and families who are experiencing an unexpected financial shock to help prevent a further crisis. An unexpected financial shock could be any of the following reasons:

• Loss of work or unemployment
• Medical emergency
• Medical treatment
• Personal illness
• Childcare needs
• Car trouble/accident
• Loss of housing
• Close family member illness
• Death in the family
• Other

The Financial Assistance Program serves individuals and families with a sudden financial shock or crisis who are low-income. This program is meant to connect individuals and households to additional resources to provide support to strengthen their current situation. Services include move-in assistance, eviction prevention, rent, and other flexible financial assistance which includes help with medical bills, repair bills, and other needs-based expenses.

Households who are low income and living in our service areas can contact one of our service centers to be entered onto a request log. To make sure everyone has the same opportunity to receive this service, we collect requests as we receive them and then draw via randomized pull from that monthly list as funding is available.

There is no guarantee you will be selected as we often have far more requests than our funding can accommodate. We recommend that you continue to seek other financial assistance services in the area. Calling 211 can help connect you to other programs.

If your household is selected via randomized draw, a specialist will reach out to schedule an appointment in-person at one of our service centers or by phone.

Eviction Prevention

When a family is in danger of losing its home due to receiving a 14-or 30-day pay or vacate notice, Hopelink offers a program that can help to provide a portion of the funds needed to prevent eviction. Preventing homelessness costs at least five times less than helping a family regain stable housing after it is lost. In addition to preventing eviction, Hopelink’s Financial Assistance program may be able to help with move-in costs. Please contact the closest Hopelink emergency service center to find out more about this service and how Hopelink may be able to assist.

Rent

When a low-income family is establishing a new home – often for the first time – Hopelink offers a program that can help to pay a portion of the high costs of settling into a new apartment. Move-in costs range from first month’s rent to deposits. This kind of assistance can make the difference for a family on the verge of self-sufficiency.

Flexible Financial Assistance

Flexible financial assistance can help cover costs for prescriptions, medical bills, water & sewer bills, car repair bills, and other needs based on an unexpected financial shock. Funds from this program along with eviction prevention and first month’s rent are applied directly to the bill the client has been approved to receive financial assistance for. To learn more, please contact the closest Hopelink emergency service center.