Chester County assistance programs.

The Housing Partnership, which is based in Chester County, Pennsylvania provides a variety of assistance to help families through their time of need. Some of what you can get help with includes fuel and heating bills, mortgage counseling, home maintenance, and even credit and debt counseling.

• Heating Bill and Home Fuel Assistance
  This program will assist both lower income residents and seniors in Chester County. The program provides help with paying utility and heating bills.
   
• Senior Citizen Home Repairs and Maintenance
  This home repair assistance program will provide basic home repairs, maintenance, improvements, access modifications, and other services for families and residents of Chester County who are 65 years of age and older.
   
• Debt Consolidation and Credit Counseling
  You can even receive low cost, or free, mortgage and credit counseling from the Housing Partnership. They provide this service to individuals who are having credit card or other debt problems. Both group counseling and individual sessions are available. More debt consolidation services and help.

Call the Housing Partnership, which is based in Downingtown but serves the entire Chester county area, at (610) 518-1522.

 

 

 

Chester County Housing Assistance and Utility Program

Get help with paying your rent, utility bills, and mortgage. If you qualify for aid, up to one month of your mortgage, rent, or utility bills may be paid from government grants from the federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program.

If you are a Chester County Pennsylvania resident and have had your work hours reduced, become unemployed, or experienced other employment issues, since the fall of 2008 you are encouraged to apply for assistance. To determine you qualify for assistance, contact the charity or agency nearest you:

Kennett Area Community Service: (Kennett Square area) (484) 732-8132
Catholic Social Services: (Coatesville/Downingtown area) (610) 869-6500
Community, Youth and Women’s Alliance: (Coatesville area)
Oxford Area Neighborhood Services Center: (Oxford area)
Open Hearth, Inc.: (Spring City/Pottstown area) (610) 792-9282
Salvation Army: (West Chester area) (610) 696-8746
Phoenixville Area Community Services: (Phoenixville area)
Salvation Army Service Extension: (Other Areas in Chester County)
Find additional Pennsylvania mortgage programs.

To be able to qualify for assistance with paying your mortgage, rent, or utilities, your bill must be overdue or due to be paid within 5 days; you must live in the home, apartment or residence and you need to be responsible for paying for the rent, utility bill, or mortgage; all other assistance and your resources must be used up; and any assistance provided to you must guarantee 30 more days of utility service or continued stay in the residence.

 

 

Debt help, and foreclosure prevention services

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Delaware Valley also helps Chester County residents. They provide free foreclosure counseling. This includes mediation, and negotiation with lenders and banks. While it is true that some homes just can’t be saved, they will do everything they can to stop a foreclosure. The agency also provides debt counseling and assistance programs that can help people refinance their debts, and lower interest rates. Click here to learn more on mortgage mortgage assistance programs, or call the agency at 215-563-5665.

Housing Partnership of Chester County offers both foreclosure programs and debt counseling. Regard debt programs, the agency will offer free of charge, credit counseling to people who are having credit problems or struggling to pay their bills and debts. Program staff work with applicants and clients to remedy and prevent future credit problems, and help them develop a household budget. They also direct people to mortgage and foreclosure programs, such as the Pennsylvania Homeowners’ Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (H.E.M.A.P.), which provides mortgage assistance for Pennsylvania homeowners. Downingtown PA. Call (610) 518-1522.

Free Health Care

Community Volunteers in Medicine (phone (610) 836-5990) provides free health care. The clinic provides both free medical and dental services as well as prescription drugs and medicine for the working poor. Both low income and mid income families. The program is focused on families who have no health insurance but earn too much money to qualify for federal or state assistance programs.

Another place to turn to for health care is ChesPenn Health Services, which can be reached at 610-380-4660. The medical facility provides health care access to quality primary, urgent and preventative health care regardless of one's ability to pay for their medical or hospital bills.

Chester County Community Dental offers a host of dental services. This dental practice offers preventative and restorative dentistry to people who need help. Dental services are available to individuals and families with government insurance plans (such as CHIP and Medical Assistance). If you have no insurance, you may also be able to receive care based upon a sliding fee scale which is also available. Phone 610-383-3888.

Another option is the Community Volunteers in Medicine. This organization was created to both understand and to also help serve the primary health care needs of the underinsured and the uninsured patients who live in Chester County. 610-836-5990.

Learn more about how to get medical bill help.

Food aid and pantry

Receive emergency food and other assistance from the Chester County Food Bank (dial 610-344-6640). The facility offers community planning and interagency cooperation, provides free food, information and referral on government programs, as well as emergency assistance and fair housing information.

The Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS) (phone number 610-933-1105) provides those in need with free, confidential information and referral to charities and government programs. The Chester County based agency also administers a community-donated emergency food supply and fund; and sponsors community information and coordination activities among local non-profits.

Additional emergency food programs are provided by churches, non-profit charity organizations, and pantries. Call or stop by for groceries, information, meals, and guidance. Find more Chester County food pantries.

Civic legal case aid

If you are faced with a civil legal case, Community Impact Legal Services is a non-profit law firm that offers free legal advice and representation. The firm assists Chester County indigents and low income clients with civil law problems, such as domestic disputes, public benefits, foreclosures and housing problems and consumer (including bankruptcy) matters, and evictions from homes. Dial 610-380-7111, or click here to learn more on Pennsylvania free legal assistance programs.

Legal Aid of Southeaster Pennsylvania - Provides legal services for low-income families and individuals. Dial (610) 436-4510. Get free legal help with issues such as foreclosure, consumer debt, family law, and utility disconnections.

 

 

Emergency crisis assistance in Chester County Pennsylvania

Two branches of the Salvation Army, the West Chester Corps and Coatesville, both will help resolve crises through providing free food, clothing, rent/mortgage assistance and housing funds. The locations emphasizes prevention and education for individuals, and they will help clients to learn skills in problem solving and self-reliance for the long term. Call them at 610-696-8746.

Human Services - The agency provides supportive housing and services, emergency rent or security deposit assistance, as well as information and referral to local charities as well as federal government and state of Pennsylvania assistance programs. West Chester. Dial (610) 429-3033

Interfaith Housing Assistance Corporation, of West Chester PA (phone (610) 436-0100) provides social services and financial assistance to single working parents with dependent children in Chester County. Address is 9 South High Street, Suite 209.

Housing assistance, rent help, and shelter - A number of agencies specialize in helping families and individuals deal with housing issues. Services may range from funds to pay rent and deposits, up through and including homeless prevention and shelter. The agencies are mostly non-profits and government organizations. Read more rent help in Chester County Pennsylvania.

Employment services and counseling

Chester County Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) - They offer job and career training and self-sufficiency programs for underemployed, unemployed, and unskilled in Chester County. 610-692-2344.