Virginia financial assistance directory
Low-Income Help and Resources in Virginia
Virginia households may be able to get help with food, housing, utilities, healthcare, child care, cash assistance, employment, and other basic needs. CommonHelp is the main application route for several statewide benefits, while housing, legal, aging, workforce, and emergency services often use local or regional providers.
Money Fit serves Virginia 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
Virginia Department of Social Services uses CommonHelp for SNAP, TANF, child care, energy assistance, and several health coverage applications. Other programs are organized through local departments of social services, health districts, housing authorities, workforce centers, and regional service networks.
Apply for food, cash, child care, energy, or health help
CommonHelp lets Virginia residents screen for benefits, apply for multiple programs, report changes, and manage existing cases.
Find nearby community resources
211 Virginia connects residents with housing, food, healthcare, utility, transportation, legal, employment, and other community resources throughout the Commonwealth.
Housing or utility help
Virginia Housing supports a statewide rental search, while energy assistance, vouchers, homelessness services, and weatherization use state, local, and regional application routes.
Local routing matters in Virginia. Local departments of social services process many benefit cases. Child Care Subsidy waitlists are managed by locality, public housing authorities maintain their own voucher waiting lists, WIC uses local health districts, and weatherization, legal aid, aging, workforce, and homelessness services use regional providers.
Food assistance
For ongoing grocery help, start with SNAP or WIC when the household may qualify. For food needed sooner, Virginia's regional food-bank network and 211 Virginia can help locate pantries, meal programs, and other local food resources.
Virginia SNAP
SNAP provides monthly food benefits to eligible households. Applications can be submitted through CommonHelp, by phone, or through the local department of social services serving the household.
SNAP application help: 833-522-5582
Virginia WIC
WIC provides supplemental foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals for eligible pregnant and postpartum participants, infants, and children under age five. Local health districts handle appointments and enrollment.
Federation of Virginia Food Banks
Virginia's seven regional food banks serve communities across the Commonwealth through local pantries, meal programs, schools, clinics, and other partner sites. Search by ZIP code to find the regional food bank or nearby food resources serving your area.
Virginia SNAP rules continue changing in 2026. Federal work-rule changes expanded the affected age range through age 64 and changed the dependent-child exemption to children under age 14, with other exemptions still available. Beginning November 1, 2026, Virginia says sweetened carbonated beverages will no longer be eligible SNAP purchases. Benefit amounts are not reduced by that purchase restriction.
Housing, rent, and utility help
Virginia housing and utility assistance is divided among Virginia Housing, local housing authorities, local departments of social services, DHCD weatherization providers, homelessness networks, 211 Virginia, and civil legal-aid programs. Funding and waiting-list status can change by locality.
VirginiaHousingSearch.com
Virginia Housing sponsors a free statewide rental locator with searchable apartments and homes. Property availability changes frequently, so contact the listed property directly about openings, eligibility, and waiting lists.
Housing search call center: 877-428-8844, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Virginia Energy Assistance Program
Virginia's Energy Assistance Program includes Fuel Assistance, Crisis Assistance, and Cooling Assistance. Applications can be submitted through CommonHelp, by phone, or through the local department of social services.
Enterprise Customer Service Center: 855-635-4370
Weatherization Assistance Program
Virginia DHCD administers weatherization through local nonprofit providers. Eligible households may receive energy-efficiency and health-and-safety improvements such as insulation, air sealing, ventilation, and qualifying heating or cooling system repairs.
Local public housing authorities
Public housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs are administered by local housing agencies. Each agency controls its own waiting list, application period, preferences, and service area, so households should check the agency serving their city or county.
HUD public housing help: 800-955-2232
211 Virginia and local homelessness services
Emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, coordinated entry, rapid rehousing, and other housing-crisis services are locally administered. 211 Virginia can identify the current intake route serving the caller's city or county.
Call: 211 or 800-230-6977
Virginia Law Help
Virginia Law Help connects low-income residents and seniors with local civil legal-aid providers. Help may include eviction, unsafe housing, public benefits, consumer debt, employment, family safety, and other noncriminal legal issues.
Legal aid referral: 866-LEGLAID (866-534-5243)
The next Virginia Fuel Assistance window opens October 13, 2026. State guidance sets Fuel Assistance applications from the second Tuesday in October through the second Friday in November, which is October 13 through November 13 in 2026. Cooling Assistance closed August 17. Crisis Assistance has separate winter windows beginning November 1 for qualifying heating emergencies.
Healthcare coverage and clinics
Virginia Medicaid and FAMIS are administered through the Department of Medical Assistance Services, while Virginia's Insurance Marketplace is the state's official marketplace for private health coverage. Federal changes affect some Medicaid and Marketplace rules beginning in late 2026 and 2027.
Cover Virginia
Cover Virginia provides information and application help for Medicaid and FAMIS coverage. Residents can apply online, by phone, through CommonHelp, or through a local department of social services depending on the program.
Cover Virginia: 855-242-8282
Virginia's Insurance Marketplace
Virginia's Insurance Marketplace is the official state marketplace for comparing and enrolling in private health plans. Financial help depends on household circumstances and current federal and state rules.
Consumer Assistance Center: 888-687-1501
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.
Virginia Medicaid rules begin changing October 1, 2026. New federal eligibility rules affect some noncitizen, nonpregnant adults beginning October 1. Starting January 1, 2027, some Medicaid Expansion adults ages 19 through 64 must meet an 80-hour monthly work or community-engagement requirement unless excluded or exempt, and affected expansion members will move to six-month eligibility reviews. Virginia Medicaid is sending notices before action is required.
Marketplace Open Enrollment begins November 1, 2026. Virginia's 2027 Open Enrollment period runs through January 29, 2027. December 15 is the deadline for coverage beginning January 1. Federal premium-tax-credit eligibility also changes for some noncitizens beginning January 1, 2027.
Child care, family, and cash assistance
Virginia's Child Care Subsidy Program and TANF use CommonHelp and local departments of social services. Availability can depend on local funding, eligibility, and program capacity.
Child Care Subsidy Program
Virginia's Child Care Subsidy Program helps eligible families pay part of child care costs so parents or caregivers can work, attend school, or participate in approved activities. Applications can begin through CommonHelp, with local departments handling eligibility and service availability.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
TANF provides temporary cash assistance to qualifying families with children. Virginia also uses employment and training programs such as VIEW for many participating adults. Applications are accepted through CommonHelp, by phone, or through a local department of social services.
Enterprise Customer Service Center: 855-635-4370
Diversionary and Emergency Assistance
Virginia TANF programs may include one-time Diversionary Assistance or Emergency Assistance for qualifying families facing a short-term need. Emergency Assistance can address certain urgent situations such as disaster, fire, or preventing eviction. The local department of social services determines eligibility.
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
Child Care Subsidy waitlists remain local. Virginia requires local waitlists when demand exceeds available child care subsidy slots. Not every locality has a waitlist at the same time. Families on a waitlist must update or confirm their information at least quarterly to remain active, and the local department of social services can provide the current status.
Work, legal help, and essential services
Job loss, legal problems, or loss of affordable phone or internet service can quickly affect housing, healthcare, transportation, and the rest of the household budget.
Virginia unemployment benefits
Eligible workers who lose employment may qualify for temporary unemployment benefits through the Virginia Employment Commission. Initial claims can be filed online through Customer Self Service or by phone.
VEC Customer Contact Center: 866-832-2363, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Virginia Works
Virginia Works connects job seekers with free workforce centers, job-search support, training, apprenticeships, veterans services, reemployment support, and other career resources across the Commonwealth.
Virginia Law Help
Virginia Law Help is a statewide guide to free civil legal services for low-income residents and seniors. It can connect people with local legal-aid providers for housing, public benefits, consumer debt, employment, family safety, healthcare, and other civil matters.
Legal aid referral: 866-LEGLAID (866-534-5243)
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
Virginia uses a statewide No Wrong Door network to connect older adults, people with disabilities, veterans, caregivers, and families with long-term services and community supports. Twenty-five Area Agencies on Aging lead local aging networks across the Commonwealth.
No Wrong Door Virginia and Virginia Easy Access
No Wrong Door Virginia coordinates public and private service providers, while Virginia Easy Access provides a statewide service finder for housing, in-home services, transportation, healthcare, benefits, caregiver support, and other community resources.
Area Agencies on Aging
Virginia's 25 Area Agencies on Aging connect older adults and caregivers with meals, transportation, benefits counseling, caregiver support, long-term care information, legal assistance, wellness programs, and other local services.
Adult Protective Services
Virginia Adult Protective Services responds to suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation involving adults age 60 or older and incapacitated adults ages 18 through 59. Reports can be made to the local department of social services or through the statewide hotline.
Adult Protective Services Hotline: 888-832-3858, 24 hours a day
Crisis, safety, and disaster resources
If someone is in immediate danger, has a life-threatening medical emergency, or cannot stay safe, call 911.
Virginia 988 and Crisis Services
Call or text 988 for crisis support. Virginia 988 can also connect people with local mobile crisis response, community-based stabilization, and other behavioral-health resources when appropriate.
Call or text: 988
Virginia Statewide Hotline
The Virginia Statewide Sexual and Domestic Violence Hotline provides free, confidential support by phone, text, and chat. Advocates can help with safety planning and connections to local services.
Call: 800-838-8238
Text: 804-793-9999
211 Virginia
211 Virginia connects residents with community resources for housing, food, utilities, healthcare, transportation, income support, legal help, and other needs. The public resource database can be searched online at any time.
Call: 211 or 800-230-6977
Text: CONNECT to 247211
Virginia Department of Emergency Management
VDEM coordinates statewide emergency response and recovery. After a disaster, residents should follow local and state instructions, document damage, contact insurers when applicable, and check whether household assistance has been authorized for the affected area.
Check the declaration before applying for FEMA household help
As of September 17, 2026, Virginia's newest 2026 FEMA declaration is EM-3631 for the January severe winter storm. It authorizes Public Assistance Category B for emergency protective measures, not Individual Assistance grants for households. FEMA household assistance is available only when a declaration specifically includes Individual Assistance for the affected location and the application period is open.
211 Virginia live assistance hours change September 27, 2026. The service says it will begin a pilot with live phone, text, chat, and email assistance Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Its public resource search and automated text-menu tools remain available outside those live hours.
Review the household budget and unsecured debt together
Public assistance can help with basic expenses while unsecured debt continues affecting the household budget. Money Fit nonprofit credit counseling can help Virginia residents review income, expenses, debts, and possible options.
A debt management plan may organize eligible unsecured debt into one monthly payment to Money Fit, which then sends payments to participating creditors. A DMP 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.
