Getting help from the City of Portland General Assistance and The Opportunity Alliance in Cumberland County, Maine.
The City of Portland's General Assistance program and The Opportunity Alliance are two of the main organizations helping residents of Portland and Cumberland County, Maine with rent, heating bills, food, medications, and other basic expenses. The two organizations covered are described below.
They are not the only options — Cumberland County has many nonprofits, food pantries, fuel assistance programs, and municipal agencies — but they are the primary government and Community Action entry points that connect people to a wide range of local resources.
City of Portland General Assistance: emergency help for Portland residents
General Assistance (GA) is Maine's municipal emergency aid program, and every city and town in the state is required to run one. In Portland, it is administered by the city's Social Services Division, part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
- Portland's General Assistance program can help eligible residents with immediate, short-term needs including rent and housing costs to prevent eviction, food and grocery assistance, prescription medications, heating fuel, utility bills, and other essential expenses. This is not a long-term entitlement program — it is designed for people facing a specific crisis who lack the resources to resolve it on their own.
To apply, you must be a Portland resident. Applications are taken in person at 196 Lancaster Street, Portland, ME 04101. The phone number is (207) 775-7911. Applicants will complete an application and go through an intake interview. You will be asked about your income, expenses, and the resources available to you.
- The program also connects applicants to other state and federal benefits — MaineCare (Medicaid), SNAP food stamps, TANF, and disability programs — and may require you to apply for those as a condition of ongoing GA eligibility. The city's General Assistance program operates under state law (22 M.R.S.A. � 4301), and the rules are consistent across Maine.
If you live in another Cumberland County community — South Portland, Westbrook, Gorham, Windham, Falmouth, Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth, Brunswick, or elsewhere — your General Assistance application must be made to your own municipality, not to Portland. Each town runs its own program. Call 211 for the contact information for GA in your specific community.
The Opportunity Alliance: Community Action Agency for Cumberland County
The Opportunity Alliance (TOA)** is the designated Community Action Agency for Cumberland County and one of Maine's largest human services nonprofits, with more than 60 years of operation and over 24,000 people served annually. Where the city's GA program handles immediate emergency needs for Portland residents, The Opportunity Alliance runs longer-term and more specialized programs serving the entire county.
The main office mailing address is 50 Lydia Lane, South Portland, ME 04106. The general intake phone is **(207) 523-5049**. Multiple program locations exist across Portland and the county — specific contacts by program are listed below. The website is **opportunityalliance.org**.
**HEAP — Home Energy Assistance Program**
For help paying heating bills in Cumberland County, HEAP is the primary program. The Opportunity Alliance administers HEAP locally and can assist both homeowners and renters. The program provides a one-time, per-season direct payment made to your heating vendor — oil, kerosene, wood, propane, natural gas, or electric heat are all covered. Renters may apply even if heat is included in their rent. Eligibility is income-based and depends on household size. The HEAP office is at **222 Saint John Street, Suite 206-207, Portland, ME 04102**. Phone: **(207) 553-5900**. Appointments can be in person, by phone, or online. Applications are also accepted online through The Opportunity Alliance's website.
**ECIP — Energy Crisis Intervention Program**
For households facing an immediate heating emergency — less than a quarter tank of oil, fewer than seven days of fuel, or an imminent utility shutoff that affects heating — the **Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP)** provides emergency assistance of up to $400 (or 100 gallons of fuel) for HEAP-eligible households. ECIP runs generally from November through April. Contact the same HEAP office at 207-553-5900 or [email protected].
**Cumberland County Homelessness Prevention Program (CCHP)**
For residents of Cumberland County who are homeless or at risk of losing their housing, the **Cumberland County Homelessness Prevention Program** provides short-term case management, help searching for housing, and connections to community resources aimed at preventing or resolving homelessness. Case managers work with individuals and families to identify barriers and find realistic housing solutions. This program serves all of Cumberland County, not just Portland. Contact The Opportunity Alliance at 207-523-5049 or through opportunityalliance.org to learn about current availability.
**211 Maine**
The Opportunity Alliance operates **211 Maine**, the statewide free information and referral line available to all Maine residents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Calling or texting **211** connects you with a trained specialist who can identify programs that match your specific need and location — whether it's food, housing, mental health support, addiction resources, utility assistance, childcare, or something else. This is often the most efficient first step before trying to navigate programs on your own.
**WIC and Head Start**
For families with young children, The Opportunity Alliance administers **WIC** (Women, Infants, and Children), supporting approximately 4,500 babies, children, and caregivers in the region each month with nutrition assistance and support. The organization also runs **Head Start and Early Head Start** programs for young children. Contact 211 or visit opportunityalliance.org to be connected to the nearest WIC or Head Start site.
There are a few core services offered directly by Cumberland County Maine Social Services Department or that are generally available in the form of referrals. While the resources are limited, first and foremost they will be trying to assist those families that are facing a short term crisis, but that are otherwise well on their way to self-sufficiency.
The organization is also known as Health and Human Services. They operate under the concept of the state helping the working poor and people in poverty. Even if the staff from the Social Service Department in Portland and Cumberland County can’t meet the client’s request, then they may offer linkage to other agencies in the region that can help.
Most of the resources are available from the resource center in Portland Maine. This location includes everything from a thrift store to food pantry. There is information on LIHEAP for paying energy bills, SNAP food stamps, section 8 housing, and more. This is where a combination of staff and government workers are based from. From the center, qualified residents can receive information or applications to a number of benefit programs.
There are referrals to low cost stores in Portland Maine. The thrift store has a diverse collection of items for sale to the general public. It is open to anyone in the community, whether the client is low income or well off. Families can purchase a wide assortment of goods at the store, but what is for sale will depend heavily on donations. Since Cumberland County Maine Social Services does rely on donations from the public, what is available for sale changes monthly, if not even daily. It will even depend on the season, such as whether cold weather attire is for sale or not.
The location that is run by the charity helps hundreds of families each year obtain the clothing or other households goods, such as furniture or appliances, they need. While not as common, there may be cases in which Cumberland County Social Services will issue vouchers so that people can receive free clothing from the Thrift Store. This is mostly for people from Cumberland County that have been impacted by a disaster, such as fire, or that meet a limited number of other conditions.
Another thing that people should note is when they shop at the Thrift Store, they are in fact giving back to the community. When someone buys a shirt or any item, the money that changes hands will then be used by Cumberland County Maine Social Services to fund the financial assistance programs they run. So the store allows people to make a difference in their local community.
Based on money raised from donations, funding from the federal government or state resources, there may be financial assistance available as well. Another source of funding for Cumberland County Maine Social Services Department will be government grants. While this is available, any funds are very limited. Some uses of the money from the charity may be as follows.
- Housing costs – A focus is on homeless prevention. So to this end, Cumberland County Maine Social Services may assist with partial rent, mortgage, or utility bills.
- Food – Gift cards for groceries, or the use of local Portland pantries may be arranged. Applications to SNAP food stamps are given too.
- Support for job seekers – Whether it is clothing or a gasoline voucher, support may be available.
- Health Care and Medicaid - The Social Services Department in Cumberland County will help low income families as well as the disabled apply for Medicaid, or seniors can enroll into Medicare.
- Energy costs - Health and Human Services in Portland is a place to apply for grants for paying heating, energy, and gas bills, including from LIHEAP.
- The office is also a place for information on many other government benefits, both at the state of Maine as well as federal level.
As noted, money is limited. So instead, the charity can direct applicants to a multitude of other programs. This can range from no-interest loans to cash assistance from the state. Social Services Department in Cumberland County Maine is a source of information on these resources. However, these other options are also very limited, and most residents will not be able to qualify.
Family Development is a tool used to prevent homelessness and break the cycle of poverty. The entire family can in fact enroll. The agency will support people on their journey to self-sufficiency, and they have a number of resources available to them to make this happen. Of particular focus is on ensuring children in Cumberland County are well cared for. They also support the under or unemployed in Portland Maine.
Cumberland County Maine Social Services Department staff will perform an assessment. Based on the results, the next step of the process will involve a case management process. The staff members from the government run social service department will advocate for the client, and help them both develop and meet career goals.
Cumberland County Maine Social Services Department Christmas and holiday programs range from Adopt-A-Family to free meals or boxes of food. Agencies across Portland work to ensure that lower income parents with children as well as seniors have some form of Christmas joy. This also relies on donations.
The program can even extend to other holidays, such as Thanksgiving. Qualified applicants will be given a free large dinner, gifts for children, and maybe items for each family member. There may also be shoes, coats and more. The sign up period will be very early, and any holiday programs are first come and served as well.
Phone number for Social Services in Portland and Cumberland County
For more details or referrals to Health and Human as well as Social Services department in Cumberland County, call 775-7911 for information.
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