Resources & programs
Type what you need in your own words — rent, groceries, the light bill, a place to sleep tonight — and matches pop up right under the search bar as you type, each with a button that takes you straight to the official application. Add your ZIP or city and the closest help in our directory rises first. Every program was researched against its official source; if a program has no online form, the card says exactly how to reach it instead.
Quick doors
Find treatment
Licensed facilities near you — detox, residential, outpatient, medication-assisted.
Meetings & recovery community
AA, NA, SMART Recovery and Al-Anon meeting finders.
Shelter & housing
Emergency shelter and housing help, starting with Central Florida.
Women, families & safety
If home is not safe: the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and Harbor House in Central Florida.
Legal help — free & pro bono
Community Legal Services and the Legal Aid Society of Orlando.
Money — budgeting & financial help
Free nonprofit credit counseling, free tax prep, your credit reports, and federal budgeting tools.
NFCC — nonprofit credit counseling →
Benefits finder — USA.gov
Answer a few questions and see federal benefits you may qualify for.
Treatment
FindTreatment.gov (SAMHSA)
Who qualifies: Anyone seeking substance-use or mental-health treatment
Searchable directory of 13,000+ licensed facilities — filter by payment, detox, medication-assisted treatment, telehealth.
TTY 1-800-487-4889
Call: 1-800-662-4357
Search facilities →Florida DCF — Substance Abuse Treatment
Who qualifies: Florida adolescents and adults with substance misuse, including the uninsured
State-funded detox, residential and outpatient treatment, and recovery support including transitional housing and peer counseling.
Walk in to a community provider near you
Call: (850) 488-8304
Find state-funded treatment →Marchman Act — Involuntary Assessment
Who qualifies: Floridians at significant risk to themselves or others from substance impairment
Court-ordered involuntary assessment and stabilization when a loved one cannot choose treatment themselves.
Start on the DCF treatment page, Marchman Act section
How the Marchman Act works →Mental health & crisis
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Who qualifies: Anyone in emotional distress or crisis
24/7 call, text and chat crisis counseling. Veterans: press 1, or text 838255.
Free and confidential
Call: 988
Call or text 988 →Florida DCF — Mental Health Services
Who qualifies: Floridians with mental illness, including the uninsured
Community mental-health programs, crisis services and state treatment facilities.
In crisis, call 988 or 211 first
Call: (850) 488-8304
Find mental-health services →Housing
HUD Housing Help — Vouchers & Public Housing
Who qualifies: Low-income individuals and families, elderly and disabled people
Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing. You apply through your local Public Housing Authority, not HUD directly.
Orlando Housing Authority: 390 N Bumby Ave, Orlando — (407) 895-3300
Open the HUD help hub →Coordinated Entry — Homeless Services Network (FL-507)
Who qualifies: People experiencing homelessness in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties
One assessment that places you into emergency shelter, rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing.
Access is by phone, at an HSN HUB location, or through street outreach — there is no online form, by design
Call: 211
SSVF — Supportive Services for Veteran Families
Who qualifies: Very-low-income veteran families who are homeless or at imminent risk
Short-term rental assistance, case management, and help getting and keeping housing.
24/7. In Central Florida, HSN is the regional SSVF lead — or start with 211
Call: 1-877-424-3838
VA homeless housing page →USDA Section 502 Direct Home Loans
Who qualifies: Low and very-low-income buyers in rural areas who cannot get credit elsewhere
No-down-payment mortgages, with rates as low as 1% with payment assistance, over 33–38 years.
Apply through your local USDA Rural Development office, year-round
Check eligibility and apply →Orlando Housing Authority
Who qualifies: Low-income Orlando households
Housing Choice Vouchers and public housing units in Orlando.
In person: 390 N Bumby Ave, Orlando, FL 32803 — call first, waiting lists open and close
Call: (407) 895-3300
Orange County Housing & Community Development
Who qualifies: Low-income Orange County households
Section 8 vouchers, the county Crisis Assistance Program, and housing programs.
Housing office: 525 E South St, Orlando
Call: (407) 836-5150
Orange County crisis assistance →Food
SNAP — Food Stamps (MyACCESS Florida)
Who qualifies: Low-income Florida households
Monthly EBT funds for groceries. Apply once on MyACCESS — the same portal covers Medicaid and cash assistance.
Mon–Fri 7am–6pm
Call: 1-866-762-2237
Apply at MyACCESS →WIC — Women, Infants & Children
Who qualifies: Pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants and children under 5, income-eligible
EBT card for nutritious foods, breastfeeding support and nutrition counseling.
Statewide line: 800-342-3556
Call: 407-858-1494
WIC in Orange County →Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
Who qualifies: Anyone facing hunger in Central Florida
Connects you to 500+ food pantries and mobile food drops across the region.
411 Mercy Dr, Orlando
Call: (407) 295-1066
Find food near you →Senior Meals — Older Americans Act (Orange County)
Who qualifies: Orange County seniors 60+, homebound or able to gather
Home-delivered meals and congregate meals, through the county Office on Aging.
Seniors First is the county's home-delivered meals provider
Call: 407-836-7446
Office on Aging →Cash & income
SSI — Supplemental Security Income
Who qualifies: People 65+, blind, or disabled with very limited income and resources
Monthly cash payments from Social Security.
TTY 1-800-325-0778
Call: 1-800-772-1213
How to apply at SSA.gov →SSDI — Disability Insurance
Who qualifies: Disabled workers with sufficient work credits
Monthly disability payments based on your work record.
TTY 1-800-325-0778
Call: 1-800-772-1213
How to apply at SSA.gov →TCA — Temporary Cash Assistance (Florida TANF)
Who qualifies: Low-income Florida families with children
Monthly cash aid while you get back on your feet. Time-limited.
Same portal as SNAP and Medicaid
Call: 1-866-762-2237
Apply at MyACCESS →Florida Reemployment Assistance (Unemployment)
Who qualifies: Florida workers who lost a job through no fault of their own
Up to $275/week for up to 12 weeks (2026). File on the CONNECT portal, then register for work.
In-person help: CareerSource Central Florida
Call: 1-833-352-7759
File at FloridaJobs.org →Utilities & essentials
LIHEAP — Energy Bill Assistance (Orange County)
Who qualifies: Low-income households — priority to elderly, disabled, and families with young children
Help paying heating and cooling bills, plus crisis aid. Orange County takes applications online Mon–Wed, 8am–12pm.
Income limits apply; also reachable through 211 or 311
Call: (407) 836-7429
Apply for energy assistance →Lifeline — Phone & Internet Discount (FCC)
Who qualifies: Income at or below 135% of federal poverty, or enrolled in SNAP, Medicaid, SSI or veterans pension
Up to $9.25/month off phone or internet service.
Apply through the National Verifier or by mail
Call: 1-800-234-9473
Apply at LifelineSupport.org →Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)
Who qualifies: Low-income homeowners and renters — preference to seniors, disabled people, families with children
Free home energy upgrades: insulation, air sealing, HVAC and water-heater work.
Delivered by your local community action agency
Find your county provider →Healthcare
Florida Medicaid
Who qualifies: Low-income children, pregnant women, parents and caretakers, people 65+, blind or disabled
Full health coverage. Florida did not expand Medicaid — most childless, non-disabled adults do not qualify.
AHCA: (877) 254-1055. SSI recipients are enrolled through SSA
Call: 1-850-300-4323
Apply at MyACCESS →HealthCare.gov — Marketplace Coverage
Who qualifies: Anyone who needs health insurance, including people leaving a job or a program
Marketplace plans with income-based subsidies; special enrollment when your life changes.
Florida KidCare covers children: floridakidcare.org
Apply at HealthCare.gov →HRSA Health Centers — Care Without Insurance
Who qualifies: Anyone — sliding-scale fees by income, no insurance required, nobody turned away
Low-cost primary care, dental and mental-health care at federally funded health centers.
Search your ZIP — Orlando has several
Call: 877-464-4772
Find a health center →Veterans
VA Health Care Enrollment
Who qualifies: Veterans, by service history and discharge status
Comprehensive VA medical care, including the Orlando VA Medical Center at Lake Nona.
Or apply in person with VA Form 10-10EZ
Apply at VA.gov →VA Homeless Programs — HUD-VASH
Who qualifies: Veterans who are homeless or at risk
Housing vouchers with case management, transitional housing and outreach.
24/7 homeless veterans line: 1-877-4AID-VET. Locally, start with 211 Coordinated Entry
Call: 1-877-424-3838
How HUD-VASH works →Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs
Who qualifies: Florida veterans and their dependents
Claims help, state veterans' homes, education benefits and scholarships.
FL Veterans Support Line: 1-844-693-5838
Call: (727) 319-7440
FloridaVets.org benefits →Seniors
Florida SHINE — Free Medicare Counseling
Who qualifies: Florida Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers and families
Free, unbiased help with Medicare choices, appeals and cost-saving programs like Extra Help.
1-800-96-ELDER
Call: 1-800-963-5337
FloridaSHINE.org →Eldercare Locator
Who qualifies: Older adults 60+, caregivers and families
Connects you to local aging services: meals, home care, transport, housing and legal aid.
Mon–Fri 8am–9pm ET, interpreters available
Call: 1-800-677-1116
Search by ZIP →Disability & work
Florida Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)
Who qualifies: Floridians whose disability is a barrier to employment — SSDI/SSI recipients are presumed eligible
Job training, counseling, assistive technology and job placement. Free for people with no income or on SSDI/SSI.
Eligibility decision within 60 days
Call: (800) 451-4327
Start the VR steps →ABLE United — Florida ABLE Accounts
Who qualifies: Florida residents whose disability began before age 46
Tax-free savings for disability expenses that does not cost you SSI or Medicaid.
Enroll at ABLEUnited.com
Call: 1-888-524-2253
Florida ABLE details →CareerSource Central Florida
Who qualifies: Anyone looking for work or training in Central Florida
Career services, training and job matching — the in-person side of reemployment.
Pairs with a Florida Reemployment claim
Career services →Know a door we're missing?
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