Financial Empowerment

Emergency Money For Utilities And Rent, Plus Other Assistance

Within the Emergency Financial Matrix below are organizations who help with emergency assistance for rent, mortgage, gas, electric, phone, or water bills. Most of these organizations will only help a family or individual once a year, for one month. In most cases, no one agency will cover all of your debt. To pay your bill, you may have to ask for help from more than one agency.

Emergency Financial Matrix
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The Housing Resource Center does not give financial support. Our role is to provide information and resources that connect residents with programs that can be of help for a one-time financial emergency. For proof of need, most organizations will need for you to provide an eviction notice; your utility or phone bill, such as final notice; payroll stubs (if appropriate); family social security cards; social security disability verification letter; and photo identification. However, since each agency has different requirements for documentation, call and check before you meet with them.


Effective March 1, 2013, all federal benefits will be paid electronically. All seniors, people with disabilities, low-income individuals and veterans who still receive a federal benefit payment by paper check are required to make the switch to electronic payments before the March 1 deadline. For additional information, please visit:

http://www.godirect.org/


Financial Literacy Information

Presents an overview of programs designed to help you to become financially literate and strategies to help you to set financial goals. Go to Financial Literacy.


Social Security Disability Benefits

To understand how Social Security Disability works, visit: www.ssa.gov/benefits/disability/.

To estimate your Social Security Benefit, use the Online Benefits Calculator here.


 Building Wealth

Presents an overview of personal wealth-building strategies that include setting financial goals, budgeting, managing debt and understanding credit reports and credit scores.

To access this guide produced by the Community Affairs Office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, go to Building Wealth.


 

How To Get Help

To learn about food, health and other benefits, please click here. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services Commission allows you to self-screen for potential eligibility for programs that include health care: Medicaid and Chip, SNAP food benefits and TANF cash assistance.

Click here to see which services that you might be eligible for.


BakerRipley Senior Services

BakerRipley provides case management for seniors, caregiver support services and a Dementia-Specific Adult Day Center along with In-Home Services for seniors.  In addition, they administer the Texas Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP).

The (CEAP) is a federally funded utility assistance program designed to assist low income elderly and/or disabled households in meeting their energy needs. Recipients of these funds must qualify by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ minimum income standards.

For information on utility assistance (electric and gas), please call (713) 590-2327.
For other senior services, please call (713) 956-1888.

 

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