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Where to Get Rent Help in McKinney Now That LIFT Is Paused

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Rent is due, or a disconnect notice just showed up, and the hardest part isn't admitting you need help. It's figuring out who can actually give it. McKinney's own security deposit program, LIFT, has been paused since January, and its rental subsidy counterpart is closed too — so a lot of the advice still floating around online is already out of date. Here’s what’s currently available, what’s on hold, and where to start with each option. Quick Answer: McKinney Emergency Rent Utility Assistance Rent: The Samaritan Inn is McKinney's main rent assistance contact. As of September 2026, its rent application is closed, though it periodically reopens as funding allows. Utilities: The Samaritan Inn also accepts utility applications for Atmos, TXU, and NRG-affiliated customers in its service area. City program: Both of McKinney's own housing programs, Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) and the LIFT security deposit program, have been suspended since January...
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Texas Lifeline 2026: Skip the National Verifier, Apply Here Instead

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Your phone bill keeps creeping up, and Lifeline sounds like it could help. So you search for it, land on a federal page, and it tells you to apply through something called the National Verifier. You try. Nothing moves. A rep on the phone says that's not how it works in Texas. Texas runs its own Lifeline process, separate from what most of the country uses, and hardly any of the generic guides floating around online say so. Here's what you actually need to know: where to start, what AT&T's phone line connects to, and what income counts in 2026. Quick Answer: Which Lifeline Path Should Texas Residents Use? Texas is an opt-out state: it runs its own eligibility system instead of the National Verifier Real application path: texaslifeline.org, or call the Texas Low-Income Discount Administrator (LIDA) at (866) 454-8387 AT&T's phone number: not a separate program — it routes into the same state process Federal discount: up to $9.25/month (broadband...
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No Insurance in Denton County? 4 Clinics That Help

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No insurance card in your wallet? A doctor's visit can still feel out of reach. But Denton County actually has four solid options for people who are uninsured, underinsured, or just tired of paying full price for a checkup. Some clinics run on a sliding scale. Others charge a flat, low fee. A few are built for one specific need, like vaccines or kids' care. Here's where each one fits, what to bring, and the one mix-up that sends a lot of first-time callers to the wrong office. Quick Answer: Where to Look First Health Services of North Texas (HSNT): Sliding-scale primary care, four Denton-area locations. First Refuge Ministries: $20 medical visits for qualifying uninsured Denton County residents. Denton County Public Health (DCPH): Immunizations, dental extractions, women's health, and STI/HIV testing. PediPlace: A dedicated medical home for uninsured, Medicaid, or CHIP kids, birth through 18. Indigent Health Care Program: County safety net for exis...
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