Hillsborough County offers a multitude of services to the great benefit of area residents. One example of this can be found at the various community resource centers that operate around the county. The South County, which is a growing area, has the SouthShore Community Resource Center, located at 201 14th Ave. SE in Ruskin.
The SouthShore Community Resource Center is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The center offers many services for residents who need financial assistance and more. These include energy financial assistance, rental and housing financial assistance, youth development financial assistance, the Healthy Living Center and the Head Start Center of South County.
Information regarding eligibility can be found at the SouthShore Community Resource Center’s website.
An example is eligibility for the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Households must meet the following criteria: You must be a U.S. citizen or an alien resident who is eligible for federal benefits and a resident of Hillsborough County, and you must have a household gross income of no more than 60 percent state median income with eight members or less, or a household gross income of no more than 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for households with nine or more members.
There is also a component program that is especially good for elderly residents 60 years and older, which is called the Emergency Home Energy Assistance for the Elderly Program (EHEAP). For this one, you must have a recent energy bill and be responsible for paying their home energy bills.
Another example for eligibility is the rental and housing financial assistance, for which you must be a U.S. Citizen or an alien resident who is eligible for federal benefits and a resident of Hillsborough County and have a household gross income of no more than 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, have a recent lease agreement and be responsible for paying their lease.
In addition, Hillsborough County offers financial education assistance for GED preparation, GED testing and Adult Continued Education to qualified residents, which includes tuition, books and other fees.
Residents can apply for Head Start and Early Head Start which are early childhood programs for low-income families with children from birth through five years old, including those with special needs.
Residents can apply for Head Start and Early Head Start, which are early childhood programs for low-income families with children from ages birth through 5 years old, including those with special needs.
For more information, please call 813-272-5220 or visit the center’s website at www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/locations/southshore-community-resource-center.
