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The Division of Family Assistance (DFA) provides Emergency Assistance (EA) in the form of payments to vendors for permanent housing for New Hampshire families that meet the eligibility requirements for Financial Assistance to Needy Families. EA payments can be applied to rent, mortgage and utility arrearages; rent and utility deposits; and fuel deliveries. EA payments allow families to obtain or retain safe and healthy housing.
Applicants for EA must be experiencing or threatened by one or more of the following:
- homelessness;
- termination of a utility; or
- lack of heat, hot water or cooking fuel.
The emergency situation must not be caused by an adult family member's refusal to accept or continue with employment or training.
Availability of EA payments is limited:
- Funding for EA payments is capped. Applications received after available funds are depleted must be denied; and
- Recipients of EA payments are generally allowed to have a vendor paid with EA funds only once in a 12 month period.
The "once in a 12 month period" restriction does not apply to requests for:
- home heating fuel deliveries - these deliveries may be authorized up to 6 times in a 12 month period; and
- rental security deposits - when the amount last authorized within a 12 month period was or will be returned to DHHS by the former landlord.
General EA Eligibility Requirements: Applicants for EA must be eligible for Financial Assistance to Needy Families, even if they do not actually receive financial assistance.
EA Specific Requirements: EA funds are meant to assist a family in resolving an emergency situation, after the family applies their own resources towards the situation. A family applying for EA must be without resources to meet an emergency situation, or the situation must require more resources than a family has available to resolve it.
Verification: In addition to any verification requirements needed to document eligibility for Financial Assistance to Needy Families, an EA applicant must provide proof of the emergency and the amount of money needed to resolve it. If the amount of money needed to resolve the emergency situation is more than the maximum EA payment amounts allow, an applicant must also provide proof that the remaining money needed to resolve the situation can be obtained.
What Happens Now?
If you feel you meet the requirements and would like to apply for Emergency Assistance, you need to:
- Visit a DHHS District Office to complete an application and interview with a DHHS worker; and
- Provide proof of information needed to process the application.
Right to an Administrative Appeal Hearing
If you disagree with any decision the Division of Family Assistance makes on your case, you may request an Administrative Appeals hearing.
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