Nevada Hardship Program: Help in Clark County, Washoe County, and Rural Nevada

Why your county shapes Nevada hardship help

Nevada is two big metro areas and a lot of open country. About three in four residents live in Clark County, around Las Vegas, and most of the rest live in Washoe County, around Reno and Sparks. The state programs work the same everywhere, but rent help, emergency funds, and legal aid are mostly local, and what exists in Las Vegas may not exist in Elko or Tonopah.

That is why the best approach has two parts. First, apply for the statewide programs, which anyone who qualifies can get. Second, find the local help for your county. A renter in Henderson, a family in Sparks, and a retiree in Pahrump will each make a different second call.

A quick note on names: the state agency many older guides call DWSS, the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services, has been renamed the Division of Social Services. Same programs, new name and website. Nevada also expanded Medicaid, so low-income adults without children can often get coverage; our Medicaid guide explains the national rules.

Nevada hardship program options at a glance

Statewide aid through Access Nevada

Access Nevada is the online portal for SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid. You can apply, upload documents, and report changes there, or visit a DSS office. The Division of Social Services lists its administrative line as (775) 684-0800 and warns that its staff will never call asking about your medical records or benefits, a common scam.

SNAP

SNAP is usually the fastest real help. A single person can receive up to $306 a month from October 2026, and households with almost no income or cash may qualify for benefits within about a week. Run your numbers in our SNAP calculator. Nevada has USDA approval to stop SNAP from paying for soda and candy, but that change is not scheduled until February 1, 2028.

TANF cash

Nevada TANF helps families caring for children in their own home or a relative's home, with cash plus support services such as child care and transportation. DSS calculates the payment from a need standards chart by household size, which it publishes in its eligibility manual. The amount is a few hundred dollars a month for a typical family; we could not confirm the current chart, so ask DSS for your figure. Nevada has historically used a tighter clock than the federal 60-month limit, with breaks required between stretches of benefits, so ask how much time you have left. Child-only cases, such as a grandparent raising a grandchild, follow different rules.

Energy Assistance Program for heat and cooling

Nevada's Energy Assistance Program (EAP) combines federal LIHEAP money with the state's own fund. It runs on a July-to-June year, not a winter season, which suits a state where August power bills in Las Vegas can be larger than January heating bills in Reno. The FY 2027 program year runs from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.

To qualify, you must live in Nevada, meet citizenship rules, and pay at least part of your heating or cooling costs to a utility, fuel supplier, or landlord. Total gross monthly income cannot be over 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. The DSS eligibility page lists these FY 2027 limits:

The application page offers forms in English and Spanish and a version for people with low vision. You can mail, fax, or email the form to energyassistance@dss.nv.gov, or drop it at a DSS office. Include proof of all household income for the last 30 days, ID for the head of household, and your latest power and gas bills. If the bill is in someone else's name, add a signed note from that person letting you apply. Because you can reapply only about 11 months after your last benefit, time your application for the season when you need help most. See our LIHEAP guide for how the federal program works elsewhere.

Clark County and Las Vegas

Clark County Social Service is the main public source of rent help in Southern Nevada. Its housing expense assistance pays up to $400 a month for one person, plus $135 for each additional household member, and can be used once every 12 months. It can also help with other housing-related costs.

Since February 2, 2026, renters age 62 or older, or on SSI because of a disability, who file a tenant's answer to a nonpayment eviction on time in the Las Vegas, Henderson, or North Las Vegas justice courts can enter the Eviction Diversion Program. It routes them to a Clark County Social Service appointment for rent help and free legal representation. The money behind it came from AB 475, a 2025 state law, and advocates expect Clark County's share to run out before its September 2027 deadline.

Charities fill in the rest. The Salvation Army of Southern Nevada, Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, and Three Square's network of food pantries are the largest. Our Las Vegas rental assistance guide covers every local rent option in detail.

Washoe County and Reno

Washoe County runs its own short-term Rental and Deposit Assistance through its Human Services Agency, funded by the Low-Income Housing Trust Fund. It can help with rent, a security deposit, or utility bills for households with low income whose rent is at or below fair market value and who can stay stable afterward. The county does not publish a set dollar amount, help may cover only part of the bill, and requests are handled in the order received. You apply by phone at (775) 337-4427; staff review eligibility and send the forms.

The Washoe County Human Services Agency also offers adult services, senior services, burial and cremation help, and homeless services, and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada supplies pantries across the region.

Rural Nevada

Outside the two metro areas, help is thinner and more personal. Each rural county has a social services or human services office that may offer small emergency grants, indigent medical help, or burial assistance; programs and budgets vary widely, so call the county directly. Community action agencies, churches, and senior centers often handle rent and utility needs, and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada and Three Square reach many rural pantries.

Nevada 211 is the best single starting point in rural counties. Dial 2-1-1 or search online for food, shelter, rent and utility help, and transportation near your ZIP code. If you lost your job, file for unemployment with the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) right away, since benefits are not paid for weeks before you file.

The seven-day eviction clock

Nevada evictions move quickly. For unpaid rent, the process usually starts with a 7-judicial-day notice to pay or quit; weekends and court holidays do not count. If you cannot pay, you must file a tenant's answer with the justice court before the notice period ends. If you do nothing, the landlord can get an order to lock you out without a hearing.

• Do not ignore the notice, even if you have applied for rent help. Rent help that is still being reviewed will not pause the court case.
• File your answer on time. In Las Vegas Justice Court, the Civil Law Self-Help Center explains how to file online.
• Bring proof of any payments, repair requests, or rent help applications to court.
• Call legal aid right away, while there is still time to act.

Free legal help by region

Nevada's free civil legal services are divided by region. The Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada serves Clark County and helps with evictions, consumer debt, benefits, and family safety; it is a partner in the Eviction Diversion Program. Washoe Legal Services serves Reno and the rest of Washoe County. Nevada Legal Services covers the rural counties and parts of the state outside those areas. Each screens for income, and 211 can give you the right phone number for your county.

Legal aid can do more than fight an eviction. Lawyers can help appeal a denied SNAP or TANF case, deal with a debt collection lawsuit, or stop a wrongful lockout or utility shutoff.

Related guides

• Las Vegas rental assistance
• Salvation Army Las Vegas rental assistance
• Nevada child care assistance program
• Arizona hardship program

Frequently asked questions

National Relief Program is an independent website, not a state or county agency, and it does not process applications. Figures here are a snapshot; check with DSS or your county before you plan around one.