Cleveland County assistance programs

Get help with rent, counseling, and weatherization programs

Gaston Community Action, Inc., located at 116 W. Third Street in Gastonia North Caroline (phone (704) 861-2283)) has several resources and services for people who need help. The offer rent help, have eviction prevention services, provide debt counseling and budgeting, and also weatherization programs.

Rent Assistance from the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing

The community action agency can direct residents on how to get help from this federal government funded program. It will assist those individuals and families who are behind on their rent, facing an eviction, and it will even provide aid to people who are currently homeless. Financial assistance and grants are offered.

The grants can include rental assistance, money for security deposits and and utility deposits, utility bill and heating bill payments, moving cost assistance, and credit counseling. The program is not a welfare program, but it is intended to help people who are facing a short term hardship. The applicants have many needs, and the goal is to help as many people as possible with their rent and housing expenses. In addition, the homeless
prevention and rapid rehousing program also encourages landlords to rent to those who are homeless or at risk of losing their home. Case workers will also be assigned to clients to help them negotiate rent and lease terms as well as address credit issues with a potential tenant. Also credit repair is one of the services provided, as people need to control and get out of debt in order to help address housing issues.

Weatherization Assistance Program

Weatherization will provide homeowners with free energy conservation repairs. It focuses on low income, the elderly, and  handicapped. The goal is to help them reduce their total residential expenditures (and therefore their energy bills) and improve their health and safety.

Some of the improvements that can result from weatherizing a home include insulating the attic, water pipes, floors, walls, and hot water heater, closing holes in outer walls and the roof, weather stripping doors, glazing windows, and replacing broken window panes. In addition to updating and weatherizing homes, the Gaston Community Action also has options and resources in place to assist in the repair or replacement of heating units for low to moderate income homeowners.

Community Services Block Grant

This is a general assistance program that provides a wide variety of services and aid. The primary goal is to ensure people become self-sufficient, and in order to make that happen they are always willing to assist families and individuals with reaching their potential. The Gaston Community Action focuses on credit and debt assistance, employment, increasing wages, budgeting and financial counseling, and they want to help people make choices that help them to become all they can be over the long term.