Where Can I Get Rent Assistance or Eviction Help in Pennsylvania?

PALawHelp.org is a free website with legal information for people with low income and for seniors in Pennsylvania. It has guides on housing problems, including eviction help. It also tells you how to contact the programs that give free legal help.

PA 211 is a free and confidential help line for finding services near you. Call 211, or text your ZIP code to 898-211, at any hour on any day. A resource specialist (a person trained to find local programs) will connect you to help.

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) is the state agency that enforces the laws against discrimination. In housing, this covers unfair treatment based on race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, age 40 and over, and disability. It also covers having children and using a guide or support animal. It covers retaliation too: punishing you for speaking up. If a landlord treats you this way, you can file a complaint with the PHRC at pa.gov/agencies/phrc.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection takes complaints about a business, product, or service. If a business treats you unfairly, you can file a complaint online at attorneygeneral.gov or call 800-441-2555. The bureau tries mediation (a worker from the office contacts you and the business and tries to settle the problem). It cannot act as your own lawyer.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) watches over the companies that supply utilities (electric, natural gas, water). The PUC handles problems with bills, service quality, and payment arrangements. A payment arrangement is a plan to pay what you owe over time. First contact the utility company about the problem. If the company does not fix it, then file an informal complaint with the PUC online, or call 1-800-692-7380.

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) is the state housing agency. PHFA can connect you with free help from a housing counseling agency. A housing counseling agency has trained staff who help you make a plan.

LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, gives cash grants that help people with low income pay their heating bills. The money goes straight to the company that supplies your heat. You do not pay it back. Grants range from $200 to $1,000. You can qualify as a renter; you do not have to own your home. If you are in immediate danger of losing heat, you may also qualify for a crisis grant (extra emergency help). The program takes applications only during the colder months, not all year. Call the LIHEAP hotline at 1-866-857-7095.