North Dakota financial assistance directory
Low-Income Help and Resources in North Dakota
If household costs are hard to manage, North Dakota 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 Human Service Zone, Tribal, regional, or local application route when a program is handled closer to home.
Money Fit serves North Dakota 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
North Dakota uses one Self-Service Portal for several major benefit programs, while housing, legal, workforce, aging, and crisis services use separate statewide or local systems.
Apply for state benefits
North Dakota's Self-Service Portal can be used for SNAP, Medicaid, LIHEAP, Child Care Assistance, and TANF. Human Service Zone offices and the Customer Support Center can also help with applications.
Find nearby help statewide
FirstLink operates North Dakota 211 statewide with free, confidential, 24-hour help finding food, rent and utility assistance, healthcare, legal services, transportation, and other community resources.
Housing or energy assistance
ND Housing maintains renter and homelessness resources, while LIHEAP now accepts applications year-round and includes heating, cooling, emergency, furnace, and weatherization assistance.
North Dakota benefits use a statewide portal with local support. Human Service Zones can accept and help with economic-assistance applications, North Dakota Housing and local public housing agencies handle different rental programs, and Tribal programs may have separate eligibility or service routes.
Food assistance
For ongoing grocery help, start with SNAP or WIC when the household may qualify. For food needed sooner, Great Plains Food Bank and FirstLink 211 can help locate pantries, meal programs, and other food resources.
North Dakota SNAP
SNAP provides grocery benefits to eligible North Dakota households. Applications can be submitted online through the Self-Service Portal, by mail, or through a local Human Service Zone office.
Customer Support Center: 866-614-6005
Great Plains Food Bank SNAP help: 855-405-0000
North Dakota WIC
WIC provides healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, health screening, and referrals for eligible pregnant and postpartum participants, infants, and children under age five. Enrollment is completed through a local WIC clinic.
North Dakota WIC: 800-472-2286
Great Plains Food Bank
Great Plains Food Bank is North Dakota's statewide Feeding America food bank and works with local food pantries, shelters, meal sites, and other community partners. Its food finder can help residents locate nearby food assistance.
North Dakota SNAP work rules expanded. Starting October 1, 2025, several groups that previously did not have to document the work rule became subject to it, including adults ages 55 through 64 without dependents, some parents whose youngest child is 15 or older, people experiencing homelessness, veterans, certain former foster youth, and residents of Rolette County or the Turtle Mountain Reservation unless another exemption applies. Affected participants generally must document 20 hours per week of qualifying work or activity.
Housing, rent, and utility help
North Dakota housing assistance is spread across ND Housing, local public housing authorities, homelessness providers, Community Action Agencies, HHS energy programs, and civil legal-aid organizations. Program availability can differ by location.
North Dakota LIHEAP
LIHEAP helps eligible households with heating costs and can also cover weatherization, furnace cleaning or repair, chimney services, emergency assistance, and certain cooling-device costs. North Dakota now accepts LIHEAP applications year-round.
Customer Support Center: 866-614-6005
Application help through Community Options: 800-823-2417
ND Housing renter resources
North Dakota Housing Finance Agency maintains rental-assistance information and links to affordable-housing search tools, local public housing agencies, emergency resources, fair-housing help, and other renter services.
ND Housing Moderate Rehabilitation assistance
ND Housing administers rental assistance for specified housing in Devils Lake, Fargo, and Grand Forks. Applications are placed on a first-come, first-served waiting list. This is not a statewide voucher for any rental unit.
Local public housing authorities
Housing Choice Voucher and public housing programs are generally administered by local public housing authorities. Waiting-list status and application periods differ by authority, so contact the agency serving your community directly.
HUD public housing help: 800-955-2232
North Dakota Statewide Continuum of Care
North Dakota has one statewide Continuum of Care covering all 53 counties and five federally recognized tribes. Local providers use the CARES coordinated-entry system for many homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing, emergency shelter, and supportive-housing programs.
Legal Services of North Dakota
Legal Services of North Dakota provides free civil legal help to eligible low-income and older residents statewide. Housing cases can include eviction, rental-repair issues, housing discrimination, and other landlord-tenant matters.
Under age 60: 800-634-5263
Age 60 and older: 866-621-9886
Intake hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Central
Two older housing programs should not be treated as open statewide assistance. The pandemic-era general ND Rent Help program was wound down and its Housing Stabilization application closed in spring 2025 as federal funding expired. Separately, ND Help for Homeowners stopped accepting applications on September 4, 2026. Use current ND Housing, Continuum of Care, LIHEAP, local housing authority, 211, and legal-aid routes instead.
Healthcare coverage and clinics
North Dakota Medicaid covers multiple eligibility groups, including children, adults, pregnant people, older adults, people with disabilities, and Medicaid Expansion members. Coverage groups have different rules and income standards.
North Dakota Medicaid
Residents can apply for Medicaid online through the Self-Service Portal, through the Customer Support Center, or at a local Human Service Zone office. Different documentation and eligibility rules apply depending on the coverage group.
Customer Support Center: 866-614-6005
North Dakota Medicaid Expansion
Medicaid Expansion covers qualifying adults ages 19 through 64 who meet current income and program rules and are not eligible for Medicare or SSI. Current income standards took effect April 1, 2026.
Community health centers
Federally supported health centers provide primary care and may offer dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, substance-use treatment, and other services. Health centers serve insured and uninsured patients and use sliding-fee programs based on income and family size.
Medicaid Expansion work requirements begin in 2027. New applicants starting January 1, 2027 and existing Medicaid Expansion members with reviews due February 28, 2027 or later will need to meet an 80-hour monthly work, school, training, or volunteer requirement unless excluded. Expansion members also move to six-month eligibility redeterminations beginning January 1, 2027. Native American and Alaska Native members are among the excluded groups.
Child care, family, and cash assistance
North Dakota's Child Care Assistance Program and TANF both use the statewide application system, but current child care funding limits can affect when a new family begins receiving assistance.
Child Care Assistance Program
CCAP helps eligible families pay for child care while parents or caretakers work, search for work, attend school or training, or meet another approved activity. New applicants may be placed on a waitlist before receiving assistance.
Customer Support Center: 866-614-6005
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
TANF provides temporary cash assistance to qualifying low-income households with needy children and some pregnant people. Applications can be submitted online, by mail, or through a local Human Service Zone office. Work-related requirements may apply.
North Dakota 211
FirstLink 211 can help families locate child care, parenting support, food, rent and utility assistance, transportation, healthcare, clothing, legal services, and other community resources.
Call: 211
Text: ZIP code to 898-211
Head Start and Early Head Start
Head Start programs provide early learning, health, nutrition, and family support for eligible young children and families. Local programs handle eligibility, applications, openings, and waiting lists.
Locator help: 866-763-6481
The CCAP waitlist remains active. Beginning December 1, 2025, new applicants may need to wait for funding before benefits begin. TANF households and families participating in the Crossroads program are not placed on the waitlist. Families experiencing homelessness and households with income at or below 30% of State Median Income receive priority consideration. Payments are not backdated for the time spent waiting.
CCAP age eligibility changed April 1, 2026. To align with state law, CCAP payments are now available through the month a child turns 12. Beginning the following month, providers can no longer request CCAP payment for that child unless another program rule applies.
Work, legal help, and essential services
Job loss, a legal problem, or loss of affordable phone or internet service can quickly affect housing, healthcare, transportation, and the rest of the household budget.
North Dakota unemployment insurance
Eligible workers who lose employment through no fault of their own or have their hours reduced may qualify for temporary unemployment benefits. Claims can be filed through UI ICE or by telephone.
UI Claims Center: 701-328-4995, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Central
Job Service North Dakota Workforce Centers
Job Service North Dakota operates nine Workforce Centers with free job-search help, career exploration, employment advising, training information, veterans services, and other workforce resources.
Legal Services of North Dakota
Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to qualifying low-income and older North Dakotans. Services may include housing, debt and consumer matters, public benefits, family issues, and other civil legal problems.
Under age 60: 800-634-5263
Age 60 and older: 866-621-9886
Federal Lifeline benefit
Lifeline may reduce the monthly cost of qualifying phone or broadband service. Eligibility can be based on household income or participation in certain public benefit programs.
Lifeline Support Center: 800-234-9473
Older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers
North Dakota's Aging and Disability Resource Link provides statewide navigation for aging, disability, caregiver, home-care, housing, transportation, food, healthcare, and long-term services. Vulnerable Adult Protective Services handles reports involving qualifying adults.
Aging and Disability Resource Link
ADRL connects older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers, and families with in-home assistance, caregiver support, respite, housing, transportation, financial assistance, healthcare, food, legal services, and long-term support options.
ADRL: 855-462-5465
Family Caregiver Support Program
The program can provide information, caregiver coordination, counseling, support groups, training, respite care, and some supplemental services for qualifying unpaid caregivers.
ADRL caregiver help: 855-462-5465
Vulnerable Adult Protective Services
VAPS receives reports of suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, and self-neglect involving vulnerable adults with substantial mental or functional impairments. The intake line is not an emergency service. Call law enforcement first if the adult is in immediate danger.
Central intake: 855-462-5465, press 2, weekdays 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Central
Crisis, safety, and disaster resources
If someone is in immediate danger, has a life-threatening medical emergency, or cannot stay safe, call 911.
North Dakota 988 Lifeline
Call or text 988 for free, confidential, 24-hour support involving suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, mental health concerns, substance use, relationship conflict, stress, trauma, or concern about a loved one. FirstLink answers North Dakota 988 calls locally.
Call or text: 988
North Dakota victim advocacy centers
The North Dakota Domestic & Sexual Violence Coalition maintains a statewide directory of 18 victim advocacy centers. Local centers provide services such as safety planning, shelter, protection-order assistance, advocacy, and crisis support. The coalition itself does not provide direct victim services.
FirstLink 211
FirstLink provides free, confidential information and referral 24 hours a day across North Dakota. Residents can call, text, or search for help with food, housing, rent, utilities, transportation, legal aid, healthcare, and other community needs.
Call: 211 or 701-235-7335
Text: ZIP code to 898-211
North Dakota and federal disaster assistance
North Dakota Department of Emergency Services coordinates recovery after qualifying disasters. Individual Assistance may include temporary housing, repairs, disaster-related grants, unemployment assistance, legal help, or federal disaster loans when an applicable declaration activates those programs.
North Dakota DES: 800-773-3259
FEMA Helpline: 800-621-3362
Review the household budget and unsecured debt together
Public assistance may help with food, housing, healthcare, child care, or utilities 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 North Dakota 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.
