Assistance programs Springfield and Hampden County

Assistance programs in Hampden County and Springfield Massachusetts

Dozens of charities and non-profits provide financial help in Hampden County. The organizations will offer support for housing needs, including funds for paying rental expenses, energy or heating bills. There is also free health care from clinics, including prescription drugs. Other agencies in Springfield provide free food, clothes, and debt reduction services among other assistance programs.

Locate resources and programs to help with bills and expenses

Assistance programs in Hampden County and Springfield Massachusetts.

The main assistance programs are noted below as well as information on how to apply. There may also be free winter clothes from churches or school supplies for students. Or learn about free government job placement programs or training along with get help paying for gasoline or car repairs for work.

Hampden County agencies may also offer cash grants for bills, low interest loans, home buying programs, and other social services. Locate resources and programs to help with bills and expenses: If you are struggling or if are considered low to moderate income,

Find rent and housing assistance

Springfield Partners for Community Action, Inc,

which is located at 619 State Street, Springfield, MA 01109, phone (413) 263-6500 is the local community action agency that offers programs and resources to help. Some of the programs they offer are below, but they also offer others.

Help to avoid foreclosure

Weatherization Assistance Program:

Springfield Partners for Community Action offers residents this free program. They have been helping low to middle income Hampden county and Springfield families save money on their utilities.

Weatherization assistance programs provides energy assistance and home insulation to low-income and elderly renters throughout Hampden County.

Legal assistance in Hampden, including foreclosure help

In most years, over 1,000 families and homes have weatherization services or upgrades completed on their home, which resulted in lower utility as well as heating bills for those families. These services will lower the average annual energy bill by about $250 per home. Some Hampden County households save even more money.

In addition, the organization works closely with all the local utilities and gas companies to provide various weatherization services to low-income families. As just one example, Bay State Gas has their own, separate program that helps with both heating and insulation needs to low-income families that is referred to as their Partners in Energy Program, and this can also help people save money.

Many other energy providers offer similar services. Or clients can be referred to

free state of Massachusetts weatherization and LIHEAP programs Eviction Prevention and Clinic: A partnership between Western Mass Legal Services, Massachusetts Justice Project, and Housing Court was formed to provide people with counseling and referrals to programs.

Clinics are held weekly. The goal is to educate as well as inform tenants who are facing eviction of their responsibilities and rights and to prepare them for housing court hearings. They can also refer people to programs that can help them access grants that can provide them with short term rent help.

The goal of the clinic and eviction prevention services is to ensure tenants know, understand and excise their housing rights and obligations. Credit and Debt Counseling: They provide local residents with assistance in improving their credit scores, eliminating their debt, establishing credit or other support services..

Their Credit Counselors work closely with clients to ensure confidentiality but also facilitates workshops on budgeting, financial literacy, saving money, and debt counseling. Employment Programs:

Financial assistance for rent, bills, prescriptions, and other aid

Community Action helps Hampden County residents either (1) find a job, (2) get the supplies they need such as a laptop or (3) gain a new skills. A number of companies in the central and Eastern MA area partner with community action. There are also government job training centers in Springfield which can be a resource.

Ways to get help with utility and heating bills

Applying for help from Community Action

- Several other programs are offered by Springfield Partners for Community Action. They include job fairs, mediation for tenants facing an eviction, applications to federal government resources including Medicaid or food stamps, and of course referrals to other Hampden County non-profit agencies. Click here

Credit counseling and free debt management

Springfield Partners for Community Action assistance programs Find rent and housing assistance: The city of Springfield has two local agencies and charity organizations that generally receive funds from the federal government each year as part of homeless prevention and rehousing.

The money will be used to help prevent evictions, homelessness, provide rent and utility bill support as well. The government funds will have an overall goal of concentrating on homeless prevention efforts and the rapid rehousing of families who may have lost their homes. More on rapid rehousing and homeless prevention in Hampden County /: The groups that will be receiving the money and that will be distributing the financial aid include HAP, Inc.

((413) 233-1500). Another agency that will be providing assistance is Springfield: Catholic Charities ((413) 452-0605), which is receiving funds each and every year. Contact Catholic Charities for more information or to apply. Note that they have various programs and services that assist the poor and needy in addition to this rent assistance.

The assistance will be provided in various forms, and will range from direct grants to pay for rent, assessment and counseling to rapid rehousing through aid such as utility bill help.

In some cases, Hampen County residents will get rental subsidies, and also money for security deposits. Read more on homeless prevention and rapid rehousing from federal government Non-profits that offer emergency rent or security deposit help - If the Catholic Charities or HAP can’t help you, also feel free to call other local agencies.

They may issue a loan or other financial help for a back rent payment or a deposit for a new home or apartment. Locate a more extensive list on Springfield Massachusetts rent assistance programs and organizations.

Help to avoid foreclosure: There are programs and agencies that are providing foreclosure assistance to Springfield Massachusetts families. Funds are available from the Homesaver Rescue Fund to homeowners who are in danger of losing their home to foreclosure. HAPHousing is another local agency that provides of variety of assistance programs.

In addition, read about the state of Massachusetts foreclosure assistance programs HAPHousing ((413) 233-1500), is a local non-profit agency that is based in Springfield, and they have been offering loans of up to $5,000 for qualified borrowers and homeowners may lose their home.

According to the agency, with foreclosures climbing, they've seen an increase in demand for help and they are doing their best to meet that demand. The agency has housing counselors that will work directly with the borrower in foreclosure prevention tactics, and the counselors are well trained to set up an immediate plan of action for the homeowner.

Housing counselors will arm an applicant with financial tools, information on programs, education and support that will assist the homeowner in overcoming immediate financial issues and hopefully save their home.

In addition, those looking for foreclosure and mortgage help can contact the: Western Massachusetts Foreclosure Prevention Hotline at (413) 233-1622. Legal assistance in Hampden, including foreclosure help The: Hampden County Bar Association , which is located in Springfield MA ((413) 733 - 6500) provides free legal help and representation to families as well as individuals with consumer protections matters.

Lawyers also offer free debt reduction, tenant or housing matters and individuals facing foreclosure. In addition, they provide free foreclosure counseling. Read more on

Community health care clinics

Massachusetts legal aid Financial assistance for rent, bills, prescriptions, and other aid: Catholic Charities - Springfield , which can be reached at (413) 452 - 0605, provides, among other things, rent payment and housing assistance, diapers, prescription medication expense assistance, comprehensive information and referral on government programs (federal and Massachusetts) and they may be able to provide other forms of assistance.

A location is also located in Worcester. Another agency to contact is:

EFSP Salvation Army - Hampden County and Holyoke

Emergency food and free meals

. This non-profit agency provides limited mortgage payment assistance, free congregate meals, groceries, nutrition sites, access to food pantries and soup kitchens. In some cases the Faith Based Charity also offers rent payment assistance, electric and heating bill payment help and gas bill payment assistance.

They may also from time to time have limited funding for other expenses. (413) 532 - 6312

The Salvation Army also operates several other centers around Hampden County Massachusetts. Emergency financial aid is available, but limited. Social services are offered, and are more wide ranging. In addition to the programs indicated above, many locations also offer homeless prevention and free Christmas assistance including toys or food boxes.

They also give out free school backpacks, clothes, uniforms, and supplies to children. Read more on the services offered by the

Springfield Massachusetts Salvation Army

Another community action agency for Hampden County is the Holyoke based: VOC - Valley Opportunity Council, Inc. They can help low to moderate income families, the working poor, unemployed, and others. Services offered by the non-profit include: Mortgage For