Local Rent, Food & Bill Assistance

North Carolina's Tenant Security Deposit Act (N.C. Gen. Stat. 42-50 to 42-56) is short. It covers every security deposit in Raleigh and the rest of the state. It caps how much a landlord can take, limits what the money can be used for, sets a 30-day deadline to return it with an itemized list, and penalizes landlords who willfully ignore the rules. This guide walks through the law in the order you'll need it: when you move in, while you live there, when you move out, and if t

If you're paying for child care in Raleigh or anywhere in Wake County, North Carolina's Subsidized Child Care Assistance program may cover most of the cost. Most families pay a parent fee of 10% of gross monthly income, and the subsidy pays toward the rest. Wake County Social Services handles the applications. New income limits took effect on October 1, 2026, so families who were turned down earlier may want to check again. This guide covers who qualifies, how to apply in Wak

Three "sevens" run through most Louisville evictions. There's a 7-day notice for unpaid rent. A judge's order gives you 7 days to move out. And either side gets 7 days to appeal, but on appeal you have to deposit rent with the court. Those are the rules. This guide explains each one, along with where eviction court meets, how to appear by Zoom, and what changed on the docket in May 2026. Last checked October 2026. Legal rules come from KRS 383.660 and 383.255, Louisville Metr

Kentucky has no blanket winter ban on utility shutoffs. Instead, the state's utility rules give specific protections that you have to ask for. These include a 30-day delay on a winter shutoff, a winter hardship reconnection after you've been cut off, and a 30-day medical delay. Each one depends on handing the right certificate to LG&E at the right time. This guide explains those rules in plain terms, then lists the Louisville programs that help pay the bill. Last checked Octo

Louisiana's eviction law is short enough to read in a few minutes, and it moves fast. The most important deadlines are counted in days and hours, not weeks. A New Orleans tenant who waits for a second letter can lose the chance to stay or to appeal. This guide follows the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure step by step. It explains where New Orleans cases are heard and who gives free legal help under the city's Right to Counsel ordinance. Last checked October 2026. Legal rules

Most calls about Sewerage & Water Board (SWBNO) bills come down to one of three problems. The bill looks wrong. The bill is right, but you can't pay it. Or the water is already off. Each problem has a different fix. This guide takes them one at a time, then covers the Water Help Program for seniors and people with disabilities, along with the sanitation fee increase that started October 1, 2026. Last checked October 2026. All details come from SWBNO's Payment Assistance and F

The programs that help with MLGW bills changed a lot in 2025 and 2026. Plus1 applications now go through MLGW My Account. Share the Pennies moved to TVA's Home Uplift in May 2026. And Shelby County's LIHEAP applications are online only. The Shelby County Community Services Agency (CSA) utility page also carried a notice, when we checked, that utility assistance "is not offered at this time." If you've been sent to an office that no longer takes applications, this guide sorts

Evictions in Wisconsin move fast. A summons in an eviction case can set your first court date as few as five days after the papers are issued. If you miss that date, the landlord can get a judgment for what they asked for. Milwaukee County also has more free help than most places: a right-to-counsel program, free mediation that can keep an eviction judgment off your record, and rent-assistance agencies. This guide follows a Milwaukee eviction from the notice to the sheriff's

Wisconsin's winter disconnection moratorium starts November 1 and runs through April 15. During that time, a utility generally can't shut off service for nonpayment if it provides your home's main heat or affects it. That protection is real, but it's often misunderstood. It doesn't erase your bill, it has an income-based exception written into the state rule, and the bill is still there on April 16. This guide walks through the season month by month, for We Energies customers

Most people in Allegheny County who owe a hospital bill owe it to one of two systems: UPMC or Allegheny Health Network (AHN). Both run financial assistance programs. The rules are quite different, though, and some people who would be turned down by one could get a bill wiped out by the other. This guide compares the two, then explains how to apply, what to send, and what to do if your bill is already with collections. Last checked October 2026. UPMC details come from its Penn

If you get water from Pittsburgh Water (still called PWSA by most people in the city), you have more help available than most customers realize. One application covers the Bill Discount Program and the Winter Shut Off Moratorium. A September 2026 change also makes it much easier to clear an old balance. This guide is for households that are behind, close to falling behind, or just want a smaller bill. It covers each program, the 2026 income limits, and the order I'd apply in.

In Columbus, the most important part of an eviction case often happens on the 11th floor of the Franklin County Municipal Court, in the hour before your hearing. That's where free lawyers screen tenants, where county caseworkers check for rent money, and where mediators try to settle cases. Tenants who skip court, or show up late, miss all of it. This guide follows a Columbus eviction from the notice to the red tag. The court-day section is written hour by hour. Last checked

If your family is about to lose a place to sleep in Columbus or anywhere in Franklin County, there is one door: the Homeless Hotline at (614) 274-7000. It's open 24 hours a day. You can't simply walk into a family shelter. Families are placed through the hotline and a diversion process run under the Community Shelter Board (CSB) system. This guide explains each stage of that process, what staff will ask, and what you can do to move through it. Last checked October 2026. Facts

In Marion County, almost every kind of utility help starts with one application: IndyEAP, the local Energy Assistance Program. It's the main source of federal energy money for Indianapolis households. Just as important, a submitted application is what protects you from a winter shutoff during the state's moratorium period. Other programs often ask for your EAP results before they'll help. This guide is built around the calendar, because in Indianapolis the dates matter as muc

In Indianapolis, eviction cases are often filed in one of the nine township small claims courts rather than downtown. The court on your papers depends on your township. Each court has its own address and phone number. An Indiana eviction also usually has two hearings. The first decides whether you have to move. The second decides how much money anyone owes. Missing either one can cost you. This guide is a set of common tenant questions, answered in order. Last checked October

It's October, so filing season is still months away. Now is a good time to plan. Free tax help in the Sacramento area fills up fast once it opens. The households who get appointments are usually the ones who knew which program to use and had their paperwork ready in January. This guide covers three free routes for the 2027 filing season (your tax year 2026 return): United Way California Capital Region's Free Tax Prep program, for households earning under $68,000. AARP Foundat

If you're a SMUD customer having trouble with your electric bill, there are three main kinds of help. Each one fills a different gap: EAPR, SMUD's income-based discount, which lowers every monthly bill. MED Rate, a flat discount for households running qualifying medical equipment. HEAP, a once-a-year credit paid through Community Resource Project (CRP), the local nonprofit that runs this federal energy aid. Most income-eligible households should look at all three. Below, each

Oregon has some of the stronger utility shutoff protections in the country, but they only help if you use them. A medical certificate has to be filed. A payment plan has to be in writing. An income-based discount has to be applied for. This guide is a winter checklist for Portland households on Portland General Electric (PGE) or NW Natural, both regulated by the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC). It's organized as a list of moves, roughly in the order you should make the

A summer NV Energy bill in Las Vegas can be bigger than a month's car payment. Help exists, but it comes from different places. The biggest source is the state's Energy Assistance Program (EAP), not NV Energy itself. NV Energy adds payment programs and an assistance program for older customers. Nevada regulators set shutoff rules that protect you on the hottest and coldest days. This guide is written for Southern Nevada (Las Vegas area) customers. The state program and shutof

Portland renters get two layers of security deposit protection. Oregon law (ORS 90.300) sets the statewide floor. Portland City Code 30.01.087 adds stronger rules on top, including a cap on how much a landlord can collect, mandatory move-in condition reports with photos, limits on charges for painting and flooring, and up to $250 per violation in damages. This guide follows a deposit through the life of a tenancy: move-in, during the lease, and move-out. That way you know wha