Provides Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP).
Eligibility for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

Households must meet the following criteria:

    Be a U.S. Citizen or an alien resident who is eligible for federal benefits
    Be a resident of Hillsborough County
    Have a household gross income of no more than 60 percent state median income for households of 8 members or less, or a households gross income of no more than 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for households with 9 or more members
    Must have a recent energy bill
    Be responsible for paying their home energy bills
    Additional qualifications may be necessary to determine eligibility
        Applicants will be informed at the time of application

Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program for the Elderly (EHEAP)

Households must meet the following requirements:

    Be a U.S. Citizen or an alien resident who is eligible for federal benefits
    Be a resident of Hillsborough County
    At least one household member must be age 60 or older
    Have a household gross income of no more than 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
    Be responsible for paying their home energy bills
    Must have a recent energy bill
    Additional qualifications may be necessary to determine eligibility
        Applicants will be informed at the time of application


Directions on how to get assistance:

    Call (813) 272-5220 to schedule an appointment if you think you qualify for assistance
        If you are unsure if you qualify, call and a representative will help determine eligibility
    Gather all of the following documents for your scheduled appointment:
        Social Security number verification for each household member
        Two items showing verification of Hillsborough County residency:
            Valid driver's license with current address
            Letter or current lease from your landlord or mortgage company
            Hillsborough County voter registration card
            Public utility bill with Hillsborough County address
            Vehicle registration with a Hillsborough County address
            Current public school enrollment in Hillsborough County
        Picture identification for all adults in the household
        Verification of gross income for all household members for the last 30 days, such as: paycheck stub, employer letter, award letter for public assistance, Social Security income verification, unemployment benefits letter, or pension check stub
        Verification of home energy obligation
    Additional requirements may be necessary for eligibility determination depending on each household situation

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance program is called LIHEAP. They assist low income people and families with their heating and cooling bills. This program is therefore, a year long program that is available 12 months a year. To qualify for the LIHEAP assistance, you need to qualify. We provide the current Federal Poverty Rates nationwide below.

You are automatically qualified for LIHEAP assistance if you participate in the SNAP food stamps program, TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or the SSI program through Social Security.

Federal Poverty Guidelines for 2024

Persons In Family	Earnings (100% Fed Poverty Guideline)
1	$15,060
2	$20,440
3	$25,820
4	$31,200
5	$36,580
6	$41,960
7	$47,340
8	$52,720

*Alaska and Hawaii have different rates for HUD federal poverty guidelines.
These numbers above represent 100% of the Federal Poverty Rate. In order to get legal aid from some offices, they use a sliding fee scale. When they use a sliding fee scale, the 100% rate can be different than 100%. In those cases, using for example a 200% federal poverty level, you will only need double the 100% number listed above to 200%.

User questions & answers

Have you used the SouthShore Community Resource Center service before? If so, please help our website users by answer these questions below.