Benefits · Emergency Aid

How to apply for Tri-County Community Action LIHEAP (Santa Rosa County)

Tri-County Community Action, Inc. (TCCA) — designated Community Action Agency serving five Florida Panhandle counties (Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Washington); administers the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Florida Department of Commerce

Who it's for

Tri-County Community Action, Inc. (TCCA) is the designated Community Action Agency serving Santa Rosa County (along with Holmes, Okaloosa, Walton, and Washington Counties) for LIHEAP delivery. TCCA's LIHEAP provides assistance to meet the cost of home heating and cooling for eligible households and also provides emergency assistance to households without home energy or in danger of losing home energy during a crisis (shutoff, deposit-for-restoration, or weather-related crisis). The Florida LIHEAP income gate is set at 60 percent of the State Median Income — capturing most retired seniors on Social Security alone or modest pension+SS combinations. Benefit amounts depend on total household income, household composition, and whether there are elderly residents, disabled individuals, or children under age 6 — senior-headed households receive application priority. Applications can be submitted online or by printing a form to mail in; submitting an application does not guarantee service (first-come-first-served funding). Apply by calling TCCA at 850-981-0036.

TCCA administers Santa Rosa County LIHEAP on a first-come-first-served basis — submitting an application does NOT guarantee service. Apply early in the cooling season (typically February-March) and heating season (typically November-December) for the strongest chance of award. Florida LIHEAP uses 60% of State Median Income as the income gate (the modeled $35,000 figure approximates 60% SMI for a single-person Florida household 2026; scaled up by household size). Senior-headed households are given application priority. TCCA's five-county service area (Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Washington) means application sites may not be physically located within easy travel distance for all Santa Rosa residents — Tri-County Community Council (the Santa Rosa transit operator, related/parent organization) can sometimes coordinate trips to TCCA intake sites. Unlike Escambia (CAPC) which administers a weather-emergency HVAC repair program, TCCA's LIHEAP for Santa Rosa focuses on bill assistance + standard crisis benefits without the HVAC-specific funded program.

What you'll need

Proof of all household income (Social Security award letter, pension statement, pay stubs, SSI award letter)
Current energy bill (electric or gas) and any past-due notices
Photo identification
Proof of Santa Rosa County residency (utility bill, lease, or government correspondence)
Documentation of household members and ages (especially seniors, disabled, children under 6 for priority)
For deposit assistance: lease showing required deposit; for past-due assistance: shutoff notice

Where to apply

Apply online: official application

By phone: 850-981-0036

Renewals

annual regular benefit + crisis benefits per program year

Official source →Last verified · June 3, 2026

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Not legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final eligibility decision.