Santa Clara County assistance programs.

Rent Assistance

Catholic Charities in Santa Clara provides emergency rent assistance to people in need. There are no religious affiliations, and anyone can apply for help. There are of course conditions, such as income, financial hardship, and others. They can help people find an apartment or housing that will meet their needs, and work with landlords to ensure the housing is a good fit. (408) 468-0100

They offer other programs to help people in need. For example, they can provide grants to families to help pay utility bills, help someone find a job, even provide food aid. Find additional California charities.

Find rent, housing, food, and medical assistance

Tens of thousands of Mountain View, Los Altos, and Santa Clara residents can receive help from the Community Services of Mountain View and Los Altos organization. Many are finding emergency rental assistance and other aid. A new safety net program, called the Urgent Community Response Fund, will be funding many charities as the result of a generous one-time cash grant of $1 million from Applied Materials Foundation.

This new charitable fund, which will be managed through social service agencies such as the United Way, will help the needy with shelter, food, prescription medication, provide rent and security deposit help, and even transportation services. Call the United Way of Santa Clara/Silicon Valley to apply. (408) 345-4300.

 

 

 

Some other charities that people can turn to for help include the Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County in San Jose. They  receive daily calls of people inquiring about emergency rental assistance. At CSA in Mountain View, the number of homeless and struggling families picking up brown bags of food and groceries for the day have more than doubled in the last year. Also, the lines to the daily food pantry and kitchen are usually a block long. Many families continue to struggle, but there is help out there.

Food Assistance from St. Joseph’s Family Center in Gilroy

Has received a grant of tens of thousands of dollars to provide additional assistance to people who are seeking help from the food pantry. They are providing resources to thousands of people every year. They can also provide help with paying rent. Phone (408) 842-6662.

Food from Sunnyvale Community Services

They have experienced a record number of people seeking aid. SCS has received a $30,000 grant that will be used to buy bulk food and also to provide rental assistance to low-income residents and families. (408) 481-9423.

Additional groceries and food aid

Another option is to visit the Reach Out station in the St. Catherine Church parking lot at 17400 Peak Avenue. Emergency food is usually available, as resources allow, from Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Reach Out center to aid hungry and low income people in town. Contact 779-3959 for more information on the groceries and food.

Emergency assistance for rent and energy bills

All of these non-profits and charities provide emergency financial aid for paying bills, debts, and rent.

• InnVision Georgia Travis Center. San Jose headquartered. (408) 453-3124
• InnVision Opportunity Center. Palo Alto. (650) 853-8672
• St. Joseph’s Family Center. Gilroy. (408) 842-6662
• Sunnyvale Community Services. Call them at (408) 738-4321.
• Cupertino based West Valley Community Services. Dial (408) 255-8033.
• EHC LifeBuilders - One Stop Homeless Prevention. Offers rent assistance to prevent evictions, and can help those who are currently homeless. Dial (408) 510-7528.
• In addition to the San Jose and Santa Clara organizations listed below and above, read about more places to call for rent help in San Jose.

 

 

Community Services Agency of Mountain View and Los Altos offers emergency help and runs programs that offer safety-net services to low-income individuals, the unemployed, families, and seniors. The agency ensures that those individuals who are facing economic challenges that are associated with financial emergencies or hardships, and who are low-income are able to maintain independence and self sufficiency over the long term. Call them at (408) 968-0836.

InnVision The Way Home (408) 292-4286 Provides a variety of financial and emergency assistance. The programs and resources they offer focus on preventing homelessness and hunger. For example, they provide rent help, funds for energy bills and eviction prevention, as well as access to mortgage help. Together these options serve as a countywide safety net for those families and individuals facing eviction, utility disconnections, and hunger. Also click here to learn more on mortgage programs, including how to get help from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Salvation Army of Santa Clara County provides low income, the unemployed, elderly and others with a wide variety of emergency help for bills. Get access to assistance services that can pay your rent, offer one time housing payments, funds for utility bills, and free food. (408) 282-1165

Sacred Heart Community Service is another leading non-profit agency that provides essential services to low income families and individuals. Get access to food baskets, infant formula, diapers, sack lunches, gently used clothing, rental and housing assistance, and information and referral services to California and federal government programs, such as Section 8 housing. (408) 278-2160.

St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVDP) - The non-profit organization provides free food, clothing, rent assistance and grants, medical aid, help with addictions, prescription assistance and employment counseling and shelter. San Jose California (408) 298-7290.

San Jose First Community Services Inc. - The agency can assist low-income families and homeless with providing access to emergency services, i.e, rental and utility aid, clothing, free food vouchers, groceries, transportation assistance, job training, and vocational and employment development services.

Santa Clara programs that also help all families and individuals in California

Numerous other assistance programs, resources, and services are available for San Jose and Santa Clara County residents. Find other statewide programs to help with bills, medical costs, foreclosures, and more.

• California utility and energy bill assistance
• California clinics and health care centers
• California free HUD housing and foreclosure assistance
• California statewide foreclosure and mortgage programs
• California free food banks
• California free legal aid
• California medical debt laws
• California Section 8 housing
• California rescue missions
• Clinics can provide low cost dental assistance. Click here.

Mortgage, foreclosure, and HUD approved agencies

Thousands of Santa Clara homeowners are facing foreclosure. An agency known as Project Sentinel ((408) 842-7740) may be able to help. It is a HUD approved agency that provides several important housing and foreclosure counseling services to residents of Santa Clara County. Project Sentinel housing counselors work closely with homeowners, banks and lenders to find alternatives that allow the homeowner to avoid foreclosure. They explore both federal government and California mortgage assistance programs, and such programs offered by lenders and agencies such as the FHA short refinance program.

 

 

Debt reduction and foreclosure prevention

You can get help with paying debts and/or foreclosure counseling from SurePath Financial Solutions. Phone (408) 988-7881. This is another local Santa Clara California based non-profit, HUD approved community service organization. They offer numerous programs, however their core services include counseling on credit, debt reduction, budget, foreclosure, credit card help and housing issues. In addition, the non-profit also offers bankruptcy pre-filing counseling and bankruptcy pre-discharge education, and money management education to qualified individuals.

Information on free medical services

Mayview Community Health Center provides a medical clinic and access to free or discounted, high quality primary health and medical care at three clinics in Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Palo Alto California. Both uninsured or under-insured patients with low incomes receive age-appropriate, free and well coordinated health care. (650) 327-1223

If the location above can’t provide the health care you need, several other non-profit clinics and hospital operate in San Jose and Santa Clara California. These facilities may also be able to offer free services. Find more Santa Clara clinics.

Food vouchers and pantries in Santa Clara County

There are several local food pantries, distribution centers, and non-profits in San Jose, Santa Clara, and throughout the county. Try calling the following. Also click here for non-profits that provide low cost food in California.

• Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara - Partners with agencies throughout the region. (800) 984-3663
• InnVision Food Closet - Has locations in Palo Alto, Mountain View, and San Jose. (650) 325-3663
• St. Joseph's Family Center - (408) 842-6662
• West Valley Community Services - (408) 255-8033
• Get the phone numbers and addresses of other food banks. Locate more food panties in Santa Clara.