This page is a directory of the assistance programs available across Tennessee. It covers programs and organizations that may help with rent, utility bills, food, housing, child care, medical coverage, and several other needs. State benefits run through the Department of Human Services and TennCare. A large share of the emergency help comes from charities, churches, and community action agencies, and those are covered here too.

Each section names the agency that runs the program, what it may provide, and where to apply. Every section links to a page with full details. Local programs for each county are listed at the end.

Housing assistance programs in Tennessee

These programs serve renters, homeowners, and people who have lost their housing.

Help paying rent
Rent assistance in Tennessee comes mostly from charities, churches, and nonprofit agencies. There is no ongoing state program that pays rent. Local funds are small and are often gone before the end of a month. A qualified tenant may receive help with part of one month of rent, paid to the landlord. The local programs are listed in rental assistance in Tennessee.

Eviction prevention and homeless services
An eviction case in Tennessee moves quickly once a detainer warrant is filed in General Sessions Court. Nonprofit agencies with federal homeless prevention funds may pay the past-due rent to settle the case. Some may pay a security deposit at a new address instead. Shelters and rehousing programs serve people already without housing. Where to call is in Tennessee eviction prevention services.

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
A Housing Choice Voucher limits rent to about one third of household income. The housing authority pays the rest to the landlord. City and county housing authorities cover their own areas. The Tennessee Housing Development Agency, known as THDA, runs the voucher program in the 72 counties that have no authority of their own, through four regional offices. THDA takes applications online only, and each waiting list opens for a short period that is announced ahead of time. Details are in Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in Tennessee.

Help with a mortgage, property taxes, or foreclosure
Tennessee reimburses part of the property tax bill for low-income homeowners who are 65 or older or who have a disability. Disabled veterans and their surviving spouses may qualify with no income limit. Applications go through the county trustee, and the rules are on the Tennessee Comptroller's Tax Relief page at https://comptroller.tn.gov/office-functions/pa/property-taxes/property-tax-programs/tax-relief.html. Some counties and cities also offer a tax freeze, which holds the bill at its current amount for qualified homeowners 65 and older.

For a mortgage that is behind, HUD-approved counseling agencies in Tennessee negotiate with lenders at no charge, and more options are in Tennessee mortgage assistance.

Help with utility bills

Two kinds of help exist: programs from the power companies themselves, and the federal LIHEAP grant.

Local power companies
Most electric service in Tennessee comes from city utilities and rural cooperatives that buy power from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Each one sets its own payment plans, disconnection rules, and hardship funds, so the company on the bill is the first call. Many run round-up funds that give emergency grants through local charities. Company programs are listed in Tennessee utility bill assistance.

LIHEAP and free weatherization
LIHEAP is the main government utility bill grant in Tennessee. The Tennessee Housing Development Agency runs it through 19 local agencies that cover all 95 counties. The grant is paid to the utility company directly, once per program year, with separate help for the heating season, the cooling season, and a shutoff crisis. Applications open each fall on THDA's LIHEAP page at https://thda.org/help-for-homeowners/low-income-home-energy-assistance-program-liheap/ and at the local agencies. The same agencies handle free weatherization work, such as insulation and air sealing, which lowers bills in later months. More is in Tennessee LIHEAP energy assistance.

Free food across Tennessee

Five regional food banks in the Feeding America network divide the state and supply pantries in all 95 counties. Most pantries ask for a name, an address, and little else. Rural counties are served by mobile distributions on set schedules. Many food banks also help people fill out SNAP applications. Locations and schedules are in Tennessee food banks and pantries.

SNAP, Families First, TennCare, and CoverKids

The Tennessee Department of Human Services handles SNAP and Families First, the state's cash assistance program for families with children. One application on the One DHS Customer Portal at https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/apply-online-page/one-dhs-customer-portal.html covers both, plus help paying for child care.

SNAP arrives monthly on an EBT card. Families First payments are small and time-limited. TennCare, the state's Medicaid program, mainly covers children, pregnant women, seniors, and people with disabilities. Most other adults do not qualify, but their children usually do, through TennCare or CoverKids. Eligibility for each program is explained in Tennessee public assistance.

Help paying for child care

The Child Care Payment Assistance program pays part of the cost of care, with the payment going to the child care provider. The Department of Human Services runs it, and parents apply through the same One DHS portal. Most families qualify by working or by attending school or training. How it works is in Tennessee child care assistance.

Job training and free college

American Job Centers operate across Tennessee under the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Staff may pay for short-term training, help with a job search, and provide free classes toward a high school equivalency diploma. Tennessee Reconnect at https://tnreconnect.gov/ is a separate state scholarship. It lets an adult without a college degree attend a community college or technical college tuition-free.

Some charities also provide a donated car when a worker has no way to reach a job, described in Tennessee free vehicle programs. The training programs are in Tennessee free job training.

Charities and community organizations

Charities handle much of the emergency assistance in Tennessee.

The Salvation Army and churches
The Salvation Army operates centers in cities and towns across Tennessee. When funds allow, a center may pay part of a utility bill or rent. Some provide food boxes, clothing, or a motel voucher for a night of shelter. Churches in smaller communities offer similar help on their own schedules. Locations are in Salvation Army assistance in Tennessee.

Community action agencies
Community action agencies cover every Tennessee county. Most of them take the LIHEAP and weatherization applications for their area. Depending on funding, an agency may also provide food, Head Start, case management, and free income tax preparation in the spring. The agency for each county is in Tennessee community action agencies.

Programs for seniors and people with disabilities

Area Agencies on Aging and Disability
Nine regional Area Agencies on Aging and Disability cover the state, funded through the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging. Each one is the entry point for home-delivered meals, rides, homemaker help, and Medicare counseling. The state's OPTIONS program pays for in-home care for people 60 and older and for adults with disabilities. The agency for each county is in Tennessee senior programs including Area Agencies on Aging.

Benefits for people with disabilities
Monthly cash for disabled adults comes through the federal SSI and SSDI programs. Help with those applications is available, provided at no cost. TennCare CHOICES pays for long-term care at home or in a facility for people who qualify. More is in Tennessee disability benefits.

Phone bill discounts through Lifeline

Lifeline may lower a monthly phone or internet bill for a qualified household. The Tennessee Public Utility Commission oversees the program in the state. Households on SNAP, Medicaid, or SSI qualify, and so do others with low incomes. Some phone companies include a free basic phone. Details are in Tennessee Lifeline assistance.

Call 2-1-1

Dialing 2-1-1 in Tennessee is free. A trained specialist looks up local agencies that may help with rent, a utility bill, food, or shelter. Hours vary by region, and the online directory at https://www.uwtn.org/tn-211 is always open.

Advice from other Tennesseans

Readers across the state post on the site's moderated forum. They name the agencies that responded and describe how their applications went. The Tennessee topic is at the Tennessee assistance forum discussion.