Bridge to Benefits
Bridge to Benefits
Every year, millions of Americans are deprived of basic necessities because they are not receiving all the benefits that are available to them. Bridge to Benefits was created to help any Homewood resident to complete the required processes needed to receive critical services needed such as housing vouchers, nutritional assistance, social security, medicaid and disability insurance. This program helps to idenitfy, educate, qualify, and enroll financially struggling families to recieve public benefits.
The overarching goal is to help residents access available services and benefits and avert financial crisis, while moving toward financial stability and self-sufficiency.Our Bridge to Benefits (B2B) program is designed to link financially struggling families to public benefits and services. Below are some of the services this program has to offer
Low-Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
One of the biggest bills renters and owners have to pay are energy bills which is a major necessity for home life. If you find yourself not being able to keep up with your high energy bills we can assist you in applying for LIHEAP. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps families living on low incomes pay their heating bills in the form of a cash grant. Households in immediate danger of being without heat can also qualify for crisis grants. The cash grant is a one-time payment sent directly to the utility company/fuel provider to be credited on your bill. These grants range from $200 to $1,000 based on household size, income, and fuel type. For more information about LIHEAP go to the following link https://www.dhs.pa.gov/Services/Assistance/Pages/LIHEAP.aspx
Property Tax & Rent Rebate
We offer FREE tax preparations and Rent Rebates for those who might owe or have very simple returns. If you would like to schedule an appointment you can call the office at 412-731-1908 and book your appointment.
We are now doing Rent Rebates and taking tax appointments unit the extension ends in July
Emergency Assistance
We understand that financial issues occur and making up for them is hard so we are here to lend a helping hand. If you are experiencing a financial crisis and need assistance with a utility bill please call our office and schedule an appointment. To apply you will need the following
- Must be a Homewood resident
- A valid ID for ALL household members
- An eviction notice or shutoff notice
- Proof of income
- Required to pay half the amount of your bill
During this crisis, we encourage you to continue payments (even if minimal) to your utilities because we have limited funding and cannot serve all requests.
Application
You can start the application process online using the form below. You can also print the form instructions here. An Authorization to Release Information may be required to share information from your utility companies or landlord. You can download the authorization form here.
In order to process your application, we will need to make copies of all the following documents. Your application will be deemed incomplete if any information is missing. Once all information has been attained, we will begin to evaluate your application.