Missouri

the state's housing finance agency; funds affordable housing, homeless programs, and housing counseling, and runs the state's homeless system outside the big metros.

connects you to your local Community Action Agency, which may have emergency rent, deposit, and housing help. Call 573-634-2969 to find yours.

free lawyers for renters facing eviction in the St. Louis region and eastern Missouri. Call 1-800-444-0514.

free eviction defense and housing help in Kansas City and 40 western counties. Call 816-474-6750.

monthly cash for very low-income families with children; apply online through the Department of Social Services or call 855-373-4636.

Missouri's 19 local agencies help with emergency bills, rent, utilities, and getting back on your feet.

local offices across Missouri help with emergency rent, utilities, food, and shelter.

emergency assistance and family support across eastern Missouri, open to people of any faith.

lists hospitals statewide.

find a community health center that charges on a sliding scale based on your income, even with no insurance.

if you qualify for Medicaid, it can sometimes pay medical bills from up to 3 months before you applied; ask when you apply.

helps pay heating and cooling bills and can stop a shutoff in a crisis; apply through DSS or your local Community Action Agency.

free home improvements (insulation, air sealing, furnace work) that permanently lower your utility bills, run by the Department of Natural Resources through local agencies.

many run extra utility-help funds beyond LIHEAP; call 573-634-2969 to find your local agency.

monthly money on an EBT card for groceries; apply online through myDSS or call 855-373-4636.

the coalition of Missouri's six food banks; use their site to find a free food pantry in any county.

free healthy food and formula for pregnant women, new moms, and kids under 5. Call 800-392-8209.

free health coverage for low-income adults, kids, pregnant women, seniors, and people with disabilities; Missouri expanded Medicaid, so many working adults now qualify. Apply through myDSS or call 855-373-4636.

free or low-cost coverage for children in families that earn too much for regular Medicaid.

Missouri uses the federal marketplace; most people leaving Medicaid or between jobs qualify for very cheap or $0-premium plans.

community health centers offer doctor visits, dental, and mental health care on a sliding scale, insured or not.

runs the state's crisis system; their site lists your region's 24/7 Access Crisis Intervention line and walk-in Behavioral Health Crisis Centers.

state-funded mental health and substance use treatment you can get even without insurance; call 573-751-4942 for help finding a provider.

free support groups, classes, and help navigating the mental health system for individuals and families.

pays most of your childcare bill while you work or go to school; run by DESE's Office of Childhood. Call 573-522-8762 with questions.

free referrals to find childcare openings near you and help applying for subsidy. Call 314-535-1458.

free job search help, training money, and resume support at centers statewide.

file your unemployment claim online at uinteract.labor.mo.gov or call 800-320-2519.

• uinteract.labor.mo.gov

low-cost door-to-door rides in 87 rural Missouri counties for medical appointments, shopping, and work.

free civil legal help (eviction, debt, benefits, family law) for low-income people in 21 eastern counties. Call 1-800-444-0514.

free civil legal help in Kansas City and 40 western counties. Call 816-474-6750. (Mid-Missouri and southern Missouri have their own legal aid programs — call 211 to be matched to yours.)

low-cost immigration lawyers helping with green cards, asylum, and deportation defense, based in St. Louis.