Emergency assistance in Wake County
Wake County’s Health & Human Services runs several emergency assistance programs you won’t find statewide, with many run in partnership with local non-profits. The programs are designed to help people get transportation, food, behavioral health care and housing - utility services among other needs. Learn more on how and where to get emergency help in Wake County NC as well as phone numbers below.
All of the programs are income and asset based - among other needs. If you need general assistance or help getting connected to an emergency service, start at the Swinburne Building, 220 Swinburne St., Raleigh, or call 919-212-7000.
Emergency programs in the County for free and basic needs around housing
Rental and Housing Assistance is for people in a crisis. Families with a child and who are faced with an eviction may be able to qualify for emergency rental assistance or funds to pay a security deposit. Many of the Health & Human Services programs around housing are run in partnership with local non-profits with a list of financial resources to help with rent in Wake County. The help, at least from HHS, is for families, including single parents.
The Wake County government Health & Human Services is also the place to go to apply for the federal government Low-Income Energy Assistance (LIEAP), which also has a crisis component. This is funded by both federal government and state of North Carolina funds with HHS money also, and learn more on crisis LIEAP.
- The program gives qualified low income families a one-time payment help pay heating bills and other utility expenses if/when disconnection is imminent. Applications are taken during the late fall and winter months for heating aid. If you need help with summer cooling bills, you need to apply in the late spring or early summer for emergency help.
- LIEAP also provides emergency financial assistance to families or individuals who are experiencing a cooling crisis during warmer weather and who need help with paying their air conditioning bills. Several funding sources can be used by the county government for providing support, and each has its own specific guidelines and income limits. An applicant must have a disconnection notice in order to get emergency help.
Free fans can be provided from an emergency HHS program known as Cool 4 Wake. To learn more about this program or in order to apply, households must request fans through their WCHS Case Manager/Case Worker/ or Social Worker. While anyone can apply, a focus is on senior citizens and homes with children. Learn more on how to get a free air conditioner in Wake County, with a focus on seniors and the disabled.
If your household uses a private well, Wake County, not the state, operates its own Water Quality Lab, well-testing menu and a financial-assistance pilot for low-income residents to address testing, treatment and certain well or septic repairs. Contact the Water Quality Lab at 919-250-4437 and review eligibility for the Well & Septic Financial Assistance program before you schedule testing.
Additional Wake County HHS supported emergency assistance programs
Wake County’s Food Security Program, run by Health & Human Services, maintains a real-time map of food pantries, community soup kitchens and even some culturally specific resources for Latinx and Hispanic residents. This local map helps you find open pantries in Wake County near you by day and time which can help those in an emergency. The county has data which is more precise than statewide listings. Start with the “Find Food in Wake County” page and, for Spanish-language options, the Latino resources page.
GoWake Access provides emergency door-to-door, shared-ride trips for older adults, people with disabilities and riders who need work transportation or qualify through sponsored county services. This is a county service with rides in Raleigh, Cary NC and other parts of the county. This is not a generic state benefit, and it covers all of Wake County. Book by phone at 919-212-7005 (TTY 800-735-2962) and ask about eligibility and fare with some free ride programs also offered. That is also the same number works for the SmartRide NE on-demand microtransit pilot serving the northeast part of the county.
During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, Wake County’s long-running Holiday Cheer program pairs local children and seniors with community sponsors for meals and gifts. Applications open in September on the county HHS website. While this is an annual program, is it also an option for emergencies too however application dates need to be made. If your family works with a caseworker or a Wake County Public School social worker, ask about a referral.
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