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Community action agency programs in North Carolina
North Carolina non-profit community action agencies listed below administer several programs for the unemployed, low income, and working poor. Case management, financial help for paying bills including electric, rent or transportation, and social services are available at your local county office.
Find details on the community action agency assistance programs in NC that will be in your community.
Rent and housing assistance programs from NC community action
Community action agency programs in North Carolina.
Most of resources are focused on providing long term self-sufficiency, which usually involves helping a client find a job or gain a new skill. However some short term, emergency grants may be offered for services such as weatherization or housing, including money to pay back rent. Community Action also helps with transportation in NC, educational services and more.
Rent and housing assistance programs from NC community action:
Rental assistance may be provided in the form of: Housing Choice Vouchers
North Carolina grant money to pay bills and self-sufficiency services
. This is the federal government’s primary program for helping very low-income families, the disabled, elderly, and poor afford decent, sanitary and safe housing. North Carolina families who enroll in the section 8 program are able to find and move into their own housing as long as it meets government requirement.
The government will then help subsidize your rent using vouchers and grants. A voucher will be paid to the landlord directly on your behalf. The exact amount of the assistance is determined by the number of household members, family income, and allowable deductions in combination with the utility cost and contract rent price.
Apply for the:
Weatherization Assistance Program
at your local community action agency. The energy conservation program was designed to help low-income citizens reduce expenses and save energy through the installation of energy conservation materials in their primary residence.
It will pay for energy efficient measures for peoples homes and also offer energy conservation tips education.
Assistance includes repairs to homes to conserve energy, make homes more comfortable, and help lower utility bills, and it can help stop air leaks, conserve energy and reduce utility bills.
The services completed by the Weatherization Assistance Program reduce your energy costs by improving the overall energy efficiency of your home, and it can help people save hundreds of dollars per year..
A similar service, that is usually offered at the same time, is HARRP . This is a: Heating Appliance Repair and Replacement Program
Community action agency financial counseling services
that usually works at the same time as the Weatherization Assistance Program. HARRP will repair and/or replace inefficient heating, furnaces and cooling systems in the homes of low-income families. A focus is on North Carolina individuals who are elderly, families with children, and individuals with disabilities.
Many agencies also work closely with non-profit housing counseling agencies. They provide services such as Foreclosure Prevention Fund . This can help homeowners who are struggling to make their mortgage payments and who may be facing a foreclosure due to job loss or temporary financial hardship.
If you qualify, you may receive help from a NC community action. They mediate solutions, help people get payment plans, apply for refis and more. The loans or other forms of mortgage relief will assist people who are unemployed, re-employed or are dealing with a program eligible financial hardship.
Or they can
get mortgage help in North Carolina from other programs. New Homes Loan Pool is offered in partnership with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. Participants in this program that are in need of down payment assistance for a new home, but are not eligible for the IDA program mentioned above, can receive assistance with a minimum investment of $750.
You can receive down payment assistance at twenty percent of the sales price, but not more than $25,000. The monthly payment on this loan will be deferred for an extended period of time, and it could be as long as the life of the first loan. North Carolina grant money to pay bills and self-sufficiency services:
Community Action in North Carolina, and the CSBG grant, provides working poor and low-income families with the opportunity to become self-sufficient over the long term. Case management services from your local agency help connect individuals with resources for education, employment, housing, and food.
While more limited, financial assistance may be offered for rent payments, security deposits, utility bills and deposits. Referrals to support services are offered, including those that are both in-house and in the community. Eligibility is based on income. All clients are required to attend workshops and agree to a case management program.
Employment, education, career counseling and job training
The client will develop a partnership with the community action Case Manager and their needs and strengths will be reviewed on an on-going basis. Also set goals and learn and practice skills needed to become self-sufficient.
CSBG can provide job readiness assessment, training, and retention, as well as free financial literacy skills and training. There is also help for clients with employment search assistance, housing services and transportation assistance. Case Management
is when community action agency counselors provide or sign people up for comprehensive, long-term counseling services. When you attend a session, the counselors will evaluate the condition of the client’s entire financial and personal condition. You will then need to establish goals, create budget, and you may be able to receive other types of assistance needed to develop an overall plan for self sufficiency.
Emergency Financial Assistance
in NC is for those who are in crisis situations. Individuals may receive cash grants to alleviate the current emergency situation. Any type of financial assistance from the community action agency is contingent upon a client’s ability to maintain an independent status forward. Some
Senior food programs
funds from a local North Carolina Community Action agency may pay rent . The money will be offered to pay your rent if faced with an eviction. Past due utilities such as gas, electricity, cooling bills, oil, etc. may be paid. If faced with a life threatening condition, North Carolina may provide limited assistance with the purchase of prescription medicine.
If you do receive a grant for rental expenses, each client will need to receive continuous counseling throughout his or her job training and employment search with CAF. In addition, once employment has been obtained, follow up will take place. This means that community action agencies help with employment at the same time as offering grants, and locate details on rent assistance Crisis assistance grants
may be available when no other resource are available to the North Carolina family. Financial assistance can be provided local churches, non-profit agencies, local area ministries, The United Way, and federal government emergency shelter and food grants.
Many community action agencies also have access to local food closets and pantries throughout the local North Carolina area that are operated by ministries and volunteers.
The grants, which are free to apply for from a North Carolina Community action Agency, can be approved for many needs. Different needs around employment, housing, and everyday living expenses may be addressed from these services. Find more ways to get free grant funding for paying bills in the state.
Self-Sufficiency Programs offer case management and other support services to help families become independent. People can move to self-sufficiency and help them get above the state and federal government poverty guidelines.
Families are linked with needed resources to assure success. Clients can achieve a greater sense of authority over their lives by participating in workshops, training and presentations that include financial literacy, credit repair, budgeting and employability skills. Information and referrals
Locations of North Carolina agencies
are provided by community action agencies. The non-profits provide information, referral, and outreach assistance in North Carolina. Specialists can link families with the appropriate non-profit or charity resources. Circles
is a nationwide program designed to eliminate poverty in states and communities. It has been proven to help families become self-sufficient by reducing reliance on public and government assistance, developing and achieving educational goals and objectives, and really in increasing family income.
Families who enroll in Circles are provided the job training, networking, and social capital essential to getting out of poverty.
Community action agency financial counseling services: Consumer Workshops
may be offered at many locations. These can include one-on-one attention, employment counseling, debt reduction and free credit repair/counseling. It helps many people obtain financial literacy. VITA, or Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
, provides free income tax filing services. This is open to low income clients and the elderly. VITA sites are able to prepare basic tax returns for low-income residents, and it is done for free. Work with a specialist to ensure you receive the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Education Credit and Child Tax Credit.
Both federal and state of North Carolina tax returns are processed electronically. Clients can also learn about claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit which can result in much larger refunds. Representatives will also arrange for direct deposit of your refunds. Elderly Legal Assistance Program can protect and secure the benefits, rights and dignity of clients
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