Summer Crisis/Utility Bill Help

• Ohio families can receive emergency help paying for their utility bills through the Summer Crisis Program. Eligible low-income families who face impending disconnection of services or are already experiencing disconnection can receive up to $175 in cash assistance to pay for their connection charges or utility bill delinquencies. The annual program begins in July and ends at the end of August, during the hottest months in Ohio. Eligible families include those with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. For a family of four, total annual incomes may not exceed $44,100. Additionally, families must have at least one household member aged 60 or older or have a household member with a serious health condition. Applicants should apply through their local community action agency.
  
  

Help Purchasing Food

• The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides low-income families with federal cash assistance to purchase food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers the SNAP program and provides funding to each state to help the state's low-income residents. The average monthly benefit for eligible families in Ohio is $275.
  
  

Community Action Agencies

• Non-profit community action agencies in Ohio help local low-income residents receive food through food bank programs, collect used clothing for low-income families, provide emergency housing through local shelters and run programs such as "adopt-a-family" programs where volunteer families sponsor low-income families during the holidays. Income eligibility is typically limited to families whose household incomes fall below or within 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Community action agencies rely upon private donations from businesses and individual grants, local government grants and state and federal grants to assist local residents.
  
  

Housing Help

• Ohio low-income families may receive help paying for housing. Families can apply through their local Public Housing Agency for Section 8 benefits. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides Section 8 benefits to each state's Public Housing Agency. Ohio residents may use their Section 8 housing vouchers toward rent payments or convert them to a small down payment subsidy to purchase affordable homes. The Ohio Public Housing Agency limits eligibility to state and county income limits. For instance, in 2010, a family of four in Akron could not exceed gross incomes of $51,850 annually to qualify for HUD assistance.
  
  

Medical Help

• Low-income residents in Ohio without medical insurance or limited medical coverage may qualify to receive free or reduced-fee health services throughout Ohio. Community clinics in Ohio offer primary healthcare services, immunizations, general health checkups and may offer dental services and prescription drugs to qualified individuals. Each clinic can set its own income eligibility limits and may offer sliding fee services based on income. Ohio residents can view a listing of local clinics by contacting their local Department of Health and Human Services agency office.