California Financial Assistance

If your Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) bill is more than you can handle, LADWP and the City of Los Angeles offer several ways to lower it or spread it out: EZ-SAVE, a discount for income-qualified households, with no proof of income needed to enroll The Senior Citizen/Disability Lifeline Rate, which LADWP says offers its biggest discounts Payment arrangements with no down payment, no interest, and no fees, for up to 48 months for income-qualified customers

Moving in Los Angeles is expensive. First month's rent plus a deposit can add up to thousands of dollars before you get the keys. Since July 1, 2024, California law has capped security deposits at one month's rent for most rentals. Tenants also have new rights to photos and documentation when a landlord keeps part of the deposit. This guide explains the cap, the exceptions, how to get your deposit back, what to do if a landlord won't return it, and where some LA families can

In California, an eviction lawsuit is called an unlawful detainer (UD). These cases move fast. Most tenants who are handed the papers have only 10 court days to file an Answer. If you miss that deadline, you can lose without a trial. If you live in the City of Los Angeles, you may qualify for a free lawyer through the city's Right to Counsel program, run with Stay Housed LA. This guide covers each step, from the notice through the sheriff, and how to apply for help. Last chec

Applied for CalFresh in Los Angeles County and still waiting? You don't have to go hungry while the paperwork moves. Many households qualify for Expedited CalFresh, which LA County's Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) says can arrive within three days, sometimes the same day. And the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank's partner pantries can help today. This guide covers both, plus what to do if your benefits are late. Last checked October 2026. Phone hours and rules chan

January 7, 2027 marks two years since the Eaton and Palisades fires. If your family is still in temporary housing, that date matters for more than the anniversary. Insurance living-expense coverage, FEMA housing money and mortgage relief all have deadlines or rule changes landing between now and next summer. Some programs have already closed, including LA County's $23 million Emergency Rent Relief Program for fire-affected landlords and displaced homeowners, which stopped tak

If you tried to get help with back rent in Los Angeles County over the past two years, you may have heard "that program ended" or "call someone else." That's not your imagination. The money moved. LA County's homelessness budget was reshuffled after voters passed Measure A, and a big share of prevention funding now runs through a different agency. Here's what changed, who still qualifies for prevention help going into 2027, and exactly who to contact in your part of the count

Moving in the Bay Area is expensive enough without losing your deposit on the way out, then getting scammed on the way into your next place. Both happen a lot, and both hit hardest when money's already tight. The upside is that California's deposit law has gotten much stronger in the last two years. Landlords now have to take photos, show receipts, and in many cases return your money electronically. This guide explains what changed, how to get your deposit back, how to spot a

Across Riverside and San Bernardino counties, most rent and utility help runs through Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County, Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services, and Inland SoCal United Way's 2-1-1 line. Tenants facing eviction can get free help from Inland Counties Legal Services and the Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino, and FIND Food Bank and Feeding America Riverside San Bernardino supply pantries from the desert to the valley. This guide lists

San Diego County's main rent and utility programs run through MAAC, SBCS in the South Bay, Interfaith Community Services and the Community Resource Center in North County, and Jewish Family Service. Free eviction help comes from the Legal Aid Society of San Diego and the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, and the San Diego Food Bank and Feeding San Diego stock local pantries. This guide lists 15 and who each one serves. This guide covers the whole metro, which is all of San

Bay Area help is organized county by county: Catholic Charities in San Francisco and the East Bay, SHELTER, Inc. in Contra Costa, Samaritan House in San Mateo, and Community Action Marin. For eviction notices, the Eviction Defense Collaborative, Bay Area Legal Aid, Centro Legal de la Raza, and the East Bay Community Law Center offer free legal help. Five regional food banks and St. Anthony's in the Tenderloin round out the list of 15. This guide covers the whole metro: San Fr

Los Angeles help is spread out, so where you live matters. Catholic Charities, St. Joseph Center on the Westside, MEND in the San Fernando Valley, and Harbor Interfaith Services in San Pedro handle emergency needs. The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles defends tenants, and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank supplies pantries countywide. The list also covers Long Beach and Orange County. This guide lists 15. This guide covers the Los Angeles metro: L.A. County and Orange Cou

In San Jose, Sacred Heart Community Service is the largest faith-founded provider. Catholic Charities runs parish food markets at St. Leo's, Christ the King, and other churches, and Loaves & Fishes and Martha's Kitchen serve free meals. Faith-based ministries and church-hosted markets across Greater San Jose run food distributions, limited rent aid, and meal programs when funds allow. Most serve by zip code or parish boundary, not only members. Call or dial 2-1-1 before you g

In San Diego, the biggest faith-based programs are Father Joe's Villages downtown, Catholic Charities, and Lutheran Social Services, with church pantries and benevolence funds spread from Point Loma and Ocean Beach to City Heights and La Jolla. This guide lists 15 churches and church-run programs, what each says it offers, and how to reach it. Rent and SDG&E help from churches is small and one-time; the county's larger programs usually run through 2-1-1 San Diego. Call before

Los Angeles is huge, and the most dependable faith-based help comes from a few large programs rather than individual congregations. Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row, St. Vincent de Paul's Cardinal Manning Center, Catholic Charities' community service centers, the Dream Center's food truck, and First AME Church's pantry in West Adams all publish how to get help. This guide covers those five. Rent and utility help from churches in L.A. is limited and depends on funding and loca

Most church-based help in San Francisco is concentrated in and around the Tenderloin. GLIDE and St. Anthony's serve free meals every day within a few blocks of each other, and both run social services offices that can help with back rent. Catholic Charities and Episcopal Community Services handle eviction prevention and the city's shelter and housing intake. This guide covers five of them, with the hours and phone numbers each one publishes. Rent help in San Francisco usually