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Rent help · California

Limited funds remain, per the source

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): energy bill help · California

One-time payment from the federal LIHEAP program in California to help with your heating or cooling bill, or if your service is about to be shut off

See how to apply See the official page
WhatsApp
Kind of help
Power, gas or water
What its page says it pays; the agency decides the amount in your case.
Is it open?
Limited funds remain, per the source
What its page said on November 6, 2026.
Checked
November 6, 2026
Against the program's official page.

Type of help

What help it gives

  • Utilities

Source text

LIHEAP is a federally funded program that helps low-income households pay for heating or cooling in their homes. … L IHEAP can offer a one-time payment to help you: Pay your heating or cooling bills , even if you use wood, propane, or oil. In an emergency or energy crisis, such as a utility disconnection .

A summary of what the program publishes; not a promise of help or advice. Funds, limits and application dates change without notice.

At a glance

Who qualifies

Each answer comes from the program's page. "Not stated — ask" means its page doesn't make it clear: ask before you apply.

Source text

Eligibility for LIHEAP services can vary depending on income, household size, place of residence, and other factors. … Federal funding for LIHEAP is limited, and local LIHEAP service providers prioritize benefits and services for particularly vulnerable households.

What its page says about being open

As a result, some households eligible for LIHEAP may not qualify for a benefit in order to prioritize assistance for households with the greatest need.

Read on the official page on November 6, 2026. csd.ca.gov

Step by step

How to use it, step by step

The steps to ask for the help, with what the program’s page says. What its page leaves open is further down, in the questions.

See how to apply

  1. Ask how much is left

    Its page says limited funds remain. Ask whether it still takes applications and how long an answer takes.

  2. Find who takes your application

    Check the official page for how to apply: with California Department of Community Services and Development or with a local agency in your area. If you can’t find it, call California Department of Community Services and Development and ask.

  3. Have your papers ready

    Have your lease, the notice or past-due bill, and proof of your income ready. Ask what else they need and keep a copy of everything you hand in.

  4. If you have an eviction case, don’t miss court

    Don’t assume that asking for help stops an eviction case. Go to every hearing, tell the judge you applied for help, and look for free legal aid.

Before you call

What to ask

Its page leaves 5 points unclear. Write them down for when you talk to California Department of Community Services and Development.

What its page does not say

  • What is the most it gives, and how is it calculated?
  • Is there an income limit for my household?
  • Which immigration status or residency documents do you ask for?
  • Do you accept an ITIN?
  • Do you have materials or staff in Spanish?

Worth asking for this kind of help

  • How many months of rent, or which bills, does it cover?
  • Does it pay the landlord or the utility company, or me?
  • How long does an answer take, and how will I know if I’m approved?
  • Do I have to pay anything back, or can I apply again next year?

More rent help

Other rent-help programs in California

One more program we checked in California, with what its page says.

  • Los Angeles County Emergency Rent Relief Program

    Run by Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) · Los Angeles County

    Los Angeles County program that paid back rent to owners and renters affected by an emergency; its page says it has closed

    Closed, per the source

    Offered up to $15,000

    See details

Sources

How we checked this program

We read the program's official pages on November 6, 2026 and copied their text as it appears on them. We add no amounts or requirements those pages do not state, and a program is listed as open or closed only when its page says so.

We check every program again. If more than 180 days pass without a check, the page says so.

A man smiles on a bench outside his apartment building.

Talk to a housing counselor

A HUD-approved housing counselor helps for free or at low cost with your budget, back rent and your options if you face eviction.

Find a counselor (HUD)

Guides to paying rent and asking for help