Housing Stability
These resources will help you short term to maintain your housing stability – that means paying your bills and making sure you have necessities like food. If you live at a property that Springboard serves, visit your Community Specialist in the main office to get help applying for resources. You can also access the Community Care Closet to get essential items such as food, cleaning supplies, diapers and more.
Rent & Utility Assistance
If you are struggling to pay your rent or utility bills, there are assistance options available to you. Some resources may have a limit on how often they can assist individuals, and some may be out of funding during certain times. You generally can’t receive assistance from multiple agencies during the same month. It’s good to reach out and check in with the organization to see if they have funding available and if they are able to assist you, and you can ask questions about how to apply for the program if it is unclear.
Phone & Internet Assistance
There are two government programs to assist with phone and internet bills: Lifeline and the Affordable Connectivity program.
- Lifeline is a program to assist with your phone or internet bill. If you qualify, you can get up to $9.25 off your bill.
- The ACP is a program to assist with you internet bill. You can get a discount of up to $30 on your internet bill if you qualify.
Lifeline and the Affordable Connectivity Program are both run by the Federal Communications Commission, and therefore use the same application. Once you apply and are accepted, you can either sign up for phone or internet through a provider, or apply the benefits to your current plan. You can apply lifeline and the ACP to the same provider or two different providers, depending on your service. There are many providers who work with these programs to give you a good deal on phone and internet, so do your research on which will work best for you!
You may also be able to apply the benefits to your current phone or internet plan, call and ask your provider about lifeline or the ACP today. Some providers may include the application on their website for your convenience, to make it easy to connect your benefits to your current account.
Food Assistance
The government has assistance programs including SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program), where you can get some extra money that can be spent on food, and TANF (temporary assistance for needy families), which gives a little extra cash for families who need it. Additionally if you have a baby or young child, you may be eligible for WIC, a supplemental food program for pregnant, breastfeeding, and post-partum women, infants, and children under five years of age.
To apply for SNAP and TANF, visit: www.access.ms.gov
For more information about WIC, including eligibility, click one of the buttons below.
To apply for WIC, visit your local county health department.
Food Pantries
There are a lot of food pantries in the Jackson area, we have a few listed here for you. The food pantries listed tend to be the ones that also have other programs you can tap into, or that we know are reliable and have been used by others in the past. But there are more!
If you are still looking for one nearer to you, you can visit MS food network, they have a searchable map of food banks. You can also visit foodpantries.org, they have a searchable database of food pantries. You local church is also a good place to start looking, as many local churches have food pantries.
Keep in mind your community specialist also operates the community care closet in the main office, which is usually stocked with non-perishable food!
Food Assistance in the Jackson area
Holiday Assistance
If you are looking for assistance around the holidays, with food or gifts, here are some extra resources for you.
- Salvation army offers holiday assistance during Thanksgiving and Christmas
- They offer meal assistance during Thanksgiving
- They offer the Angel Tree program during Christmas to assist with gifts for children, registration dates for this program vary each year so check their website for current information
- For more information about these programs including contact information, click the button below
- The Marine Corps offers holiday assistance during Christmas through Toys for Tots
- For more information about the Jackson program, and to apply, click the button below
- If you are not in Jackson, search your city + Toys for Tots to see programs in your area
- You can generally apply until sometime in November, but it varies each year
Disaster Relief
Have you recently experienced a natural disaster and are seeking assistance? There are places that can help you! From replacing clothes and furniture, finding temporary shelter, to getting cash assistance.
Financial Recovery After Disaster
If you’ve been through a natural disaster, your bank account may have also taken a hit. This guide put together by the Minnesota and North Dakota Extension Services is a toolkit for recovering financially after a disaster. Download the PDF for more information.
Disaster Preparedness
The best way to not be caught un-prepared by a disaster is to plan ahead. Check out these resources and guides for getting prepared and keeping up to date on possible disasters in your area.
Renters Insurance
One good way to guard yourself against a disaster is to get renters insurance. Renters insurance will generally protect against unforeseeable disasters and emergencies, such as fires or floods. When looking for renters insurance, be sure to read exactly what the plan covers. Plans protect against various events such as fires and smoke, theft, vandalism, water damage etc. depending on the plan. This will protect you from having to pay for damages and accidents, which can get expensive quickly.
If you already have car insurance, or a different insurance, check with your insurance provider to see if they offer renters insurance. Sometimes, if you bundle insurance together, you can save money.
If you don’t have insurance, may sure to chose a reputable provider and read the coverage plan carefully. Ultimately, getting insurance is one of the best ways to protect yourself in the long run.
Avoiding Eviction
There are other things that can lead to eviction besides not paying your rent on time. This is why it is important to read through your lease carefully and understand it to the best of your ability. This is the first step to knowing whether your landlord has the right to evict you and on what grounds. This page will walk your through the steps you should take to ensure you avoid getting evicted, and how to navigate any issues with your landlord, such as repairs.
Experiencing Homelessness?
If you are currently experiencing homelessness in the Jackson area, here are more local resources specifically for you. Many of these programs and services deal with shelter or rehousing, there are also job training programs and medical services specifically for those experiencing homelessness. For other resources, view the other tabs on this page. Many services listed also provide service to those experiencing homelessness.
Re-Housing
These providers & programs are aimed at re-housing people experiencing homelessness. Some are specific to Jackson or to Mississippi broadly, while some are federal programs.
Shelters
If you need temporary shelter, here is a list of shelters in the Jackson area. Some shelters are meant for specific populations, or have eligibility requirements, so check the requirements before you go. If you are not in Jackson, you can search for a shelter near you by clicking the buttons below:
Other services
Other service providers sometimes offer services specifically geared toward individuals experiencing homelessness. Here is a list of providers in Jackson offering various services. For more services not covered on this list, check out the other tabs on this page.