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GUS Growth, Unity & Success
Free · The Bronx · No account needed

Free Help in The Bronx

Everything you need, at your fingertips.

Hunts Point, the Grand Concourse, Fordham and the South Bronx. Below are 79 free programs that serve The Bronx — 7 of them with an address in the borough, the rest citywide. Every link goes straight to the application or the phone number.

Nothing here costs money. You do not need an account, and what you type is never recorded.

The G Method: one page, real links, no runaround.
What do you need?

79 free resources. What you type here is never recorded.

Start Here 3 resources

ACCESS NYC — check what you qualify for

Answer a few questions and it shows you every city, state and federal benefit you can get. Takes about 10 minutes. No account, no name, nothing saved.

Also in Spanish, Chinese, Bengali, Russian, Haitian Creole, Korean, Arabic, Urdu, French and Polish.

NYC 311

The city's help line for anything you cannot find here. Free, 24 hours, over 175 languages.

Food 7 resources

Right here in The Bronx

POTS — Part of the Solution

Food pantry in the morning and a hot sit-down meal at midday, six days a week. They also run legal, medical and housing help in the same building.

2759 Webster Avenue, Bronx, NY 10458

SNAP (food stamps)

Monthly money on a card for groceries. If you qualify for emergency processing you can get benefits in about 5 days.

Not sure if you qualify? Check first at access.nyc.gov.

Plentiful — find a pantry and book a time

Shows the food pantries closest to you and lets you reserve a slot so you are not standing in line.

No smartphone? Text the word FOOD to 726879 from any phone.

Food Bank For New York City

Nearly 800 pantries, soup kitchens and mobile pantries across the five boroughs. Search by your ZIP code.

HRA food assistance — pantries, meals and more

The city's own list of emergency food programs, plus how to get help applying for SNAP.

WIC — food for pregnant women, babies and kids under 5

Free healthy food, formula, breastfeeding support and health referrals. You can qualify even if you work.

Free school meals

Breakfast and lunch are free for every NYC public school student. No form, no income check.

Housing & Shelter 10 resources

Right here in The Bronx

BronxWorks Homebase

The Bronx Homebase provider. Free help with rent arrears, eviction and emergency grants before you lose your home.

1130 Grand Concourse, 3rd Floor, Bronx, NY 10456

Second office at 630 Jackson Avenue, 2nd Floor, (347) 704-0001. Which one you use depends on your ZIP code.

Homebase — stop an eviction before it happens

Free help with back rent, landlord problems, and one-time emergency money to keep you in your apartment. Go here before you lose the place.

There is a Homebase office in every borough.

EvictionFreeNYC — free lawyer for eviction

If you got court papers, you have a right to a free lawyer in every NYC ZIP code. Immigration status does not matter.

One-Shot Deal — emergency money for rent

A one-time grant for back rent, a security deposit, movers, or a utility shutoff. Apply through ACCESS HRA.

Enter shelter tonight

Intake is open 24 hours. Men: 8 East 3rd St, Manhattan. Women: 114 Snediker Ave, Brooklyn or 1122 Franklin Ave, Bronx. Adult families: 333 Bowery, Manhattan. Families with children: PATH, 151 East 151st St, Bronx.

These addresses changed in August 2026. Call 311 to confirm before you travel.

Housing Court Answers

Free advice line if you are behind on rent, in Housing Court, or facing a lockout. They explain what the papers mean.

NYC Housing Connect — affordable apartment lottery

The city's official list of income-restricted apartments. Free to apply. Set up one profile and enter as many lotteries as you want.

There is never a fee for an HPD or HDC housing application. Anyone charging you is a scam.

NYCHA — public housing and Section 8

Apply for public housing and check where you stand on the waitlist.

HPD eviction prevention

The city's guide to your rights as a tenant, repairs, harassment and rent arrears help.

CityFHEPS — rental assistance voucher

A city voucher that pays most of your rent every month. For people in shelter or at risk of losing their home.

Homebase can help you apply. Start there if you are not in shelter yet.

Money & Bills 10 resources

Cash Assistance

Monthly cash for rent, food and basics if you have little or no income. Same application as SNAP.

Fair Fares NYC — half-price subway and bus

Half off subway, eligible buses and Access-A-Ride. Open to New Yorkers 16 to 84 at or below 145% of the federal poverty line.

Fair Fares now issues OMNY cards instead of MetroCards.

NYC Free Tax Prep

File your taxes free with an IRS-certified preparer and keep the whole refund. Roughly $68,000 or less filing single, $97,000 or less with family.

Financial Empowerment Centers — free money counseling

Sit down one-on-one with a counselor about debt, credit, budgeting or opening a bank account. Free, in every borough, no matter your income.

HEAP — heating and cooling bill help

Pays part of your heating or cooling bill, and can fix or replace a broken furnace or air conditioner. Money goes straight to the utility.

Application windows open and close each season. Call to check what is open now.

Con Edison payment help

Set up a payment agreement, stop a shutoff, or apply for bill credits.

IDNYC — free photo ID

A free government photo ID for anyone 10 and up living in NYC. Immigration status does not matter. Gets you into banks, clinics, schools and museums.

HRA Job Centers and SNAP Centers

Where to go in person for Cash Assistance, SNAP and Medicaid if you cannot do it online. There are centers in every borough.

Social Security, SSI and disability

Apply for retirement, SSI or disability benefits. You can start the application online and finish by phone.

National Grid bill help

Payment plans, budget billing and low-income discounts if your gas bill is behind.

Unemployment 3 resources

File an unemployment claim

File the week you lose your job. Do not wait. You file once, then certify every week to get paid.

Telephone Claims Center, Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm. Press 9 for an interpreter.

Certify weekly for your benefit

You have to certify every single week or you do not get paid, even after you are approved.

Problem with your claim

Denied, stuck, overpaid, or waiting too long. This is where you push back and where you appeal.

Jobs & Training 7 resources

Right here in The Bronx

Hunts Point Workforce1 Career Center

Free job placement, resume and interview help, and training grants in the South Bronx.

1029 East 163rd Street, 3rd Floor, Bronx, NY 10459

Workforce1 — all career centers

Free job placement help in every borough, run by the city. No cost, ever.

Jobs NYC — city government jobs and hiring halls

City jobs with benefits, plus in-person hiring halls where you can interview the same day.

Per Scholas — free tech training

Free 12 to 15 week training in IT support, cybersecurity, cloud and software engineering, with job placement after. No tuition.

Year Up United

Free year-long training plus a paid corporate internship for adults 18 to 29 with a high school diploma or equivalency.

NYC Department of Veterans' Services

Housing, benefits, mental health and job help for veterans and their families.

CUNY Reconnect — go back to college

For adults who started college and stopped. CUNY helps you re-enroll, clear old balances and finish the degree.

Start a Business 8 resources

Right here in The Bronx

Bronx Small Business Development Center

Free business counseling at Lehman College. Help writing the plan, finding financing and getting licensed.

Lehman College, 250 Bedford Park Blvd West, Bronx, NY 10468

NYC Business — start, run and grow

The city's business portal. Walks you through licenses, permits, free courses, and connects you to financing.

SBA funding programs

Federal loans, microloans, disaster loans and surety bonds. The SBA does not usually lend directly, it guarantees the loan so a bank will say yes.

Real SBA grants are rare and go to specific programs. Anyone who charges you a fee to get an SBA grant is a scam.

SBA local assistance

Find the free counselors, mentors and lenders nearest you, including the New York district office.

M/WBE certification

Certify your business as minority or woman-owned and get access to city contracts set aside for M/WBEs. Free to apply.

SCORE New York City

Free mentoring from retired and working executives. You can meet the same mentor for as long as you need.

Pursuit — small business lending

A nonprofit lender and top SBA lender in New York. Works with owners banks turn down.

Accion Opportunity Fund

Nonprofit small business loans and free coaching in English and Spanish, built for owners without perfect credit.

Kids & Teens 10 resources

Bronx, Manhattan & Staten Island

New York Public Library

Free homework help, after-school programs, English and equivalency classes, public computers and wifi. Branches across the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island.

DiscoverDYCD — find free programs near you

Search by your address for free after-school, sports, arts, tutoring and summer programs. This is the fastest way to find something for your kid this week.

COMPASS after-school — free, K through 12

Three hours a day, five days a week, including school holidays. Homework help, STEM, arts and sports. Every NYC student is eligible.

NYC Parks recreation centers — free under 25

Membership is free for anyone under 25 and for seniors. Gyms, indoor pools, classes and open gym time year round.

Free outdoor pools — summer

Every summer the city opens free outdoor pools in all five boroughs. No membership needed, even at pools next to a rec center.

Learn to Swim — free swim lessons

Free swim instruction for kids and adults at city pools. Spots fill fast, so sign up the day registration opens.

Summer Rising — free summer program

Free full-day summer program for public school students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Academics in the morning, trips and activities after.

Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)

A paid summer job for ages 14 to 24. The biggest youth jobs program in the country. Applications usually open in the winter for the coming summer.

MyCity — child care and 3-K

Apply for free or low-cost child care and see if you qualify for a voucher. One city account handles it.

Drop-in centers for youth 14 to 24

Food, clothing, laundry, a shower, counseling and emergency shelter. You do not have to be homeless and you do not need documents.

Health 7 resources

NYC Care — health care for everyone

Low-cost and no-cost care at NYC Health + Hospitals for New Yorkers who cannot get or afford insurance. No premiums. Immigration status does not matter and is not recorded.

NY State of Health — insurance marketplace

Apply for Medicaid, the Essential Plan, Child Health Plus or a subsidized plan. Many New Yorkers pay nothing.

NYC Health + Hospitals — find a clinic

Public hospitals and neighborhood clinics in every borough. They treat you regardless of ability to pay.

988 — mental health and crisis line

Call or text 988 any time, free and confidential, for you or for someone you are worried about.

Drug and alcohol help

Free treatment referrals, free naloxone, and syringe services. No insurance needed.

NYC Aging — help for seniors

Senior centers, home-delivered meals, caregiver support, elder abuse help and benefits screening for New Yorkers 60 and up.

Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities

Accessible housing, benefits, transportation and job help for New Yorkers with disabilities.

Immigrants 3 resources

ActionNYC — free immigration legal help

Free, safe, confidential immigration legal help through trusted community organizations and schools. You need an appointment.

Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. Or call 311 and say ActionNYC.

Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs

Know your rights, find legal help, and see the city services that are open to you no matter your status.

IDNYC

Free NYC photo ID for anyone 10 and up. Immigration status does not matter and the city does not share your information.

Safety & Crisis 7 resources

Right here in The Bronx

Family Justice Center — The Bronx

Free, confidential help after domestic or sexual violence. Counseling, legal help, safety planning, interpreters on site.

198 East 161st Street, Bronx, NY 10451

911 — emergency

You are in danger right now, or someone is hurt.

Family Justice Centers

One place for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, trafficking and stalking. Counseling, legal help and safety planning, all free. Staff speak more than 30 languages.

Safe Horizon

The country's largest victim services nonprofit. Hotlines for domestic violence, crime victims and rape and sexual assault.

DYCD Youth Connect

One call connects a young person or a parent to youth programs, shelter, counseling and more. Over 180 languages.

Nothing matched that word.

Try a simpler word — “rent” instead of “rental arrears”, or “food” instead of “groceries”. Or clear the search and pick a category above. If you still cannot find it, call 311 or email us at info@guswithus.org and we will help you look.

Cannot find what you need?

Call us at (718) 775-5050 or email info@guswithus.org. We are at 175-61 Hillside Avenue, Suite 202 in Jamaica. If we do not run it, we will help you find who does.

Know a program that belongs on this page? Send it to us. This list grows because people in the neighborhood tell us what is working.

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