Maine financial assistance directory
Low-Income Help and Resources in Maine
If household costs are hard to manage, Maine has programs that may help with food, housing, utilities, healthcare, child care, and other basic needs. Start with the statewide options below, then follow the town, regional, Community Action Agency, or local provider route when a program is handled closer to home.
Money Fit serves Maine residents statewide. If debt or monthly payments are also part of the problem, call 800-432-0310 or start a confidential debt review.
Where to start
Maine uses several different application routes. State benefits are commonly handled through the Office for Family Independence, heating help is routed through Community Action Agencies, and General Assistance is handled by local municipal offices.
Apply for SNAP, TANF, or MaineCare
My Maine Connection is the online portal for Office for Family Independence benefits, including SNAP, TANF, and MaineCare applications, renewals, and case changes.
Find nearby help statewide
211 Maine provides free, confidential, 24-hour referrals for food, housing, utilities, healthcare, child care, transportation, crisis support, employment, and other community needs.
Heating or housing help
MaineHousing coordinates heating assistance, weatherization, rental programs, subsidized housing resources, and homelessness services. Many applications are completed through local agencies or housing providers.
Local routing matters in Maine. SNAP, TANF, and MaineCare eligibility are handled through the Office for Family Independence. HEAP and weatherization are generally routed through local Community Action Agencies. General Assistance applications are made at the local municipal office. If you are unsure which office serves you, 211 Maine can help identify the current local route.
Food assistance
For ongoing grocery help, start with Maine SNAP or WIC when the household qualifies. For food needed sooner, Good Shepherd Food Bank's statewide network can help locate local pantries, meal programs, and other food assistance.
Maine SNAP
SNAP provides grocery benefits to eligible Maine households. Applications, renewals, and case changes are handled by the Office for Family Independence and can be completed online through My Maine Connection.
OFI eligibility and applications: 1-855-797-4357
Maine WIC
WIC provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, lactation support, and referrals for eligible pregnant, lactating, and postpartum participants, infants, and children under age five. A local WIC office completes enrollment.
Maine WIC: 1-800-437-9300 or 207-287-3991
Good Shepherd Food Bank food map
Good Shepherd Food Bank works with a statewide network of food assistance programs. Search the food map by ZIP code or town, then contact the listed pantry or meal program directly to confirm current hours, service area, and any intake requirements.
Housing, rent, and utility help
Maine uses different routes for heating assistance, emergency basic needs, rental assistance, subsidized housing, eviction prevention, and shelter. Funding and waiting lists can change, so confirm current status with the program before relying on assistance.
Maine Home Energy Assistance Program
HEAP may help qualifying homeowners and renters with heating costs. Applications are handled through local Community Action Agencies and ProsperityME, with an online application also available through MaineHousing.
2026-2027 season: Applications opened August 3, 2026 and continue until funds are exhausted or May 29, 2027. ECIP crisis assistance begins November 1, 2026.
MaineHousing Eviction Prevention Program
MaineHousing says the Eviction Prevention Program is scheduled to open September 21, 2026. The dedicated program page currently says the program will open soon and that application details and income qualifications will be posted there.
Status: Not yet open as of September 17, 2026. Check the official program page for the live application route when it opens.
Maine General Assistance
General Assistance may help eligible households meet basic needs including food, housing, temporary housing, fuel, utilities, medical or dental costs, prescriptions, and certain other essentials. Applications are made in person at the local municipal office.
State hotline if the local office cannot be reached: 1-800-442-6003
MaineHousing rental programs
MaineHousing provides information on Housing Choice Vouchers, subsidized apartments, local housing authorities, and other rental programs. Waiting lists can be long, and MaineHousing recommends considering both voucher and subsidized-housing routes.
Housing referrals: 866-357-4853 in Maine or 207-624-5789
MaineHousingSearch.org
MaineHousingSearch.org is a free statewide search tool for affordable, accessible, and market-rate rentals. Contact a property directly to confirm availability, rent, accessibility features, deposits, and eligibility requirements.
Search assistance: 1-877-428-8844
Maine Weatherization Assistance Program
Weatherization may provide no-cost home energy improvements for eligible households, including work that reduces heat loss and improves energy efficiency and health or safety conditions. Local Community Action Agencies handle eligibility and service delivery.
Maine emergency shelters and housing navigation
MaineHousing maintains a current statewide shelter list with local contact information. People who are unsheltered can also use the listed housing-navigation contacts, while 211 Maine can help identify additional emergency housing and basic-needs services.
Healthcare coverage and clinics
MaineCare is the state's Medicaid program, while CoverME.gov is Maine's official Health Insurance Marketplace. Community health centers can also provide local care when insurance, cost, or access is a barrier.
MaineCare
MaineCare provides health coverage for eligible Maine residents. The Office for Family Independence handles eligibility, applications, renewals, and changes through My Maine Connection or by phone.
Apply or check eligibility: 1-855-797-4357
MaineCare Member Services: 1-800-977-6740
CoverME.gov
CoverME.gov is Maine's official Health Insurance Marketplace. Residents can compare qualified health plans and apply for financial assistance during open enrollment, or after a qualifying life event through a Special Enrollment Period.
CoverME.gov: 1-866-636-0355, TTY 711
Community health centers
Federally funded health centers provide primary care and may also offer dental, behavioral health, substance-use, pharmacy, and other services. Health centers serve people regardless of ability to pay and adjust fees based on income and family size.
A MaineCare eligibility change takes effect October 1, 2026. Maine DHHS says some lawfully present immigrants will no longer qualify for full MaineCare under new federal rules, while several exceptions remain. Affected members are receiving official eligibility notices. Use the state's federal MaineCare changes guidance rather than older eligibility summaries.
Child care, family, and cash assistance
Child care assistance is handled through Maine's Child Care Affordability Program, while TANF and related family cash assistance are handled through the Office for Family Independence. Head Start and Early Head Start applications are handled by local programs.
Child Care Affordability Program
CCAP helps eligible Maine families pay for child care while parents or guardians work, attend school, or participate in job training. Applications are submitted through Baxter, Maine's child care management system.
CCAP help: 1-877-680-5866 or 207-624-7999, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Maine TANF
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families provides cash assistance and employment-related support for eligible families with children and certain pregnant individuals. Maine also offers related programs such as Alternative Aid and Parents as Scholars for households that meet program requirements.
OFI eligibility and applications: 1-855-797-4357
Head Start and Early Head Start
Head Start and Early Head Start provide early learning, health, nutrition, and family support through local programs. Local programs determine eligibility, openings, and waiting lists and provide the application forms for their service area.
Locator help: 1-866-763-6481, Monday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m. Eastern
Child care program naming and availability have changed. Maine repealed the old Maine At-Risk Child Care Program rules effective July 5, 2026 because they were replaced by the Child Care Affordability Program rules. Maine's current CCAP resource page continues to publish a waitlist memo, so eligible new families may be placed on a waitlist while funding or openings are limited. Families can still apply and should rely on the current CCAP page for status.
Work, legal help, and essential services
Job loss, a civil legal problem, or loss of affordable phone or internet service can make other household costs harder to manage. These statewide and federal routes can help with employment, benefits, legal issues, and communication costs.
Maine unemployment insurance
Eligible workers who become unemployed may be able to receive temporary unemployment benefits. Maine's Department of Labor uses ReEmployME for new claims, account access, and weekly claim activity.
Unemployment claims: 1-800-593-7660, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Maine CareerCenters
Maine CareerCenters provide employment and training services at no charge, including job-search resources, workforce services, and connections to training. The statewide location directory identifies the office serving each area.
Employment Services and CareerCenters: 207-623-7981, Maine Relay 711
Pine Tree Legal Assistance
Pine Tree Legal Assistance provides civil legal aid for eligible Maine residents. Common issues include eviction and unsafe housing, public benefits, debt collection, credit cards, student loans, foreclosure, tax problems, and housing discrimination.
Legal help: 207-942-8322. Phone intake hours are limited and listed on the contact page.
Federal Lifeline benefit
Lifeline may reduce the monthly cost of qualifying phone or broadband service. Eligibility can be based on income or participation in programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, or Federal Public Housing Assistance.
Lifeline Support Center: 800-234-9473
Older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers
Maine's Area Agencies on Aging also serve as Aging and Disability Resource Centers, providing a statewide entry point for many local services. Separate legal and protective-service resources are available when an older or dependent adult needs additional help.
Area Agencies on Aging and ADRCs
Maine's five Area Agencies on Aging also operate as Aging and Disability Resource Centers. They can help older adults, people with disabilities, and care partners find meals, transportation, in-home support, respite, health-insurance counseling, long-term services, and other local resources.
Statewide ADRC number: 1-877-353-3771. Follow the county prompts to reach the local agency.
Legal Services for Maine Elders
Adults age 60 and older can receive free legal help on issues such as Medicare, MaineCare, Social Security, public benefits, powers of attorney, consumer debt, bankruptcy, abuse, and guardianship.
Statewide helpline: 1-800-750-5353
Maine Adult Protective Services
Adult Protective Services receives reports involving suspected abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or exploitation of incapacitated or dependent adults. Reports can be made by phone at any time or through the state's online reporting form.
24-hour APS line: 1-800-624-8404. For immediate danger or a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
Crisis, safety, and disaster resources
If someone is in immediate danger, has a life-threatening medical emergency, or cannot stay safe, call 911.
Maine Crisis Line and 988
The Maine Crisis Line provides free, confidential behavioral-health crisis support 24 hours a day. People can also call or text 988 for mental health, suicide, substance-use, or other emotional distress.
Maine Crisis Line: 1-888-568-1112
Call or text: 988
Statewide safety hotlines
Maine maintains statewide confidential support lines for domestic violence and sexual assault. Advocates can provide crisis support, safety planning, information, and connections to local services.
Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-866-834-4357
Sexual Assault Helpline: 1-800-871-7741
211 Maine
211 Maine is available 24 hours a day in all languages and provides confidential referrals for housing, food, utilities, healthcare, crisis support, transportation, family services, and other local needs.
Call: 211 or 1-866-811-5695
Text: ZIP code to 898-211
Maine and federal disaster assistance
Maine Emergency Management Agency coordinates state recovery and federal disaster-assistance information. FEMA Individual Assistance is available only when a qualifying disaster declaration and location are eligible, so check current event information before applying.
MEMA: 800-452-8735 in Maine or 207-624-4400
FEMA Helpline: 800-621-3362
Review the household budget and unsecured debt together
Public assistance may help with basic needs while credit cards, medical bills, collections, personal loans, payday loans, or other unsecured debts continue affecting the household budget. Money Fit nonprofit credit counseling can help Maine residents review income, expenses, debts, and possible next steps.
A debt management plan may help organize eligible unsecured debts into one monthly payment to Money Fit, which then sends payments to participating creditors. It is not a new loan or debt settlement. Creditor participation, concessions, account treatment, fees, and payment changes can vary.
Money Fit does not provide cash assistance, food benefits, rent assistance, utility benefits, government benefits, or emergency grants. The counseling form below is for help reviewing debt and monthly payments.
Open the Money Fit debt review form
Share a few details so Money Fit can respond to your request. Your information stays with Money Fit and is not sent to a marketplace of lenders or debt companies.
Related Money Fit resources
These resources can help with debt, housing, financial education, and assistance in other states.
