General Eligibility

Each SHARE client eligibility decision is based on comprehensive assessment of individual circumstances and need. SHARE assistance should improve or stabilize households in financial crisis by addressing immediate threats to utility service, housing or other covered necessities. Among other results, SHARE assistance helps clients avoid more serious or catastrophic consequences and provide time to reestablish normal means of support.

All four of these statements must be true to be eligible:

• Applicant is experiencing a crisis that threatens the utility service, housing, employment, health, safety, or stability of the household or its individual members
• Applicant rarely experiences a serious financial crisis requiring outside assistance
• Applicant will, as a result of this assistance, receive meaningful and long-term relief from the threat/crisis
• Applicant is, under the circumstances, making a reasonable financial contribution toward the expenses in question

Restrictions

• A household may not receive more than $500 in SHARE assistance in a 12-month period.
• SHARE funds may not be used to pay any deposit (i.e. electricity, rent, water).
• Phone bills, credit card bills, auto expenses (including gasoline), loans (other than qualified mortgages), and debts covered by insurance do not qualify.
• Legal fees and insurance premiums do not qualify.
• SHARE funds may not be distributed directly to the client; all assistance checks are made payable to the vendor, and sent directly to the vendor.
• Any client who commits fraud in the application process, who has fraudulently received assistance in the past, or who has fraudulently received utility service is considered ineligible.
• SHARE funds are available exclusively to aid residents of the county in which those funds were raised. Local SHARE offices are not able to provide case-management for residents of communities outside their own service area.