Benefits · Emergency Aid
How to apply for El Paso County Community Services Emergency Assistance
El Paso County Commissioners Court — Community Services Department; supplements Project BRAVO's nonprofit CAA-administered CEAP (tx.el_paso.project_bravo_ceap) for households whose needs extend beyond utility emergencies; coordinates with Project BRAVO, Rio Grande AAA, and the City of El Paso to deliver emergency aid to low-income residents
Who it's for
El Paso County's Community Services Department, under the Commissioners Court, supplements Project BRAVO's nonprofit CAA-administered CEAP for households whose emergency needs extend beyond utility assistance. Services include: (1) emergency rental assistance for households facing imminent eviction; (2) referrals to Project BRAVO for utility assistance beyond their initial CEAP benefit; (3) referrals to the Rio Grande Area Agency on Aging (Title III + Benefits Counseling) for senior-specific intake; (4) coordination with the City of El Paso's Community and Human Development Department; (5) referrals to community-based partners including The Salvation Army El Paso, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of El Paso, and faith-based emergency aid networks. El Paso County's broader safety net is fragmented across these multiple delivery channels — there is no single integrated county emergency aid office, in contrast to the BoCC-department models in Dallas, Bexar, and Travis. For senior-pathway emergency intake, the Rio Grande AAA at 915-533-0998 is typically the most appropriate first call. For general emergency aid not specific to utilities or seniors, El Paso County 211 is the central referral line. The county's referral-and-coordination model emphasizes the strong nonprofit CAA presence (Project BRAVO) and the regional COG structure (Rio Grande COG).
El Paso County's emergency safety net is a REFERRAL-AND-COORDINATION model similar to Tarrant County's — there is no single integrated county emergency aid office. The county relies on Project BRAVO (nonprofit CAA) for CEAP, on Rio Grande AAA for senior services, and on community partners for broader aid. This means: (1) for utility assistance, call Project BRAVO (915-562-4100) — first call; (2) for senior services, call Rio Grande AAA (915-533-0998); (3) for general 211 information and broader referrals, dial 211. For El Paso County seniors needing ongoing long-term services (in-home personal care, adult day care), the pathway is STAR+PLUS Medicaid (see state-level tx.star_plus). The 200% FPL income gate is conservative editorial modeling — actual referral-partner sliding-scale thresholds vary widely. The strong nonprofit CAA presence (Project BRAVO has operated since 1965) means El Paso's federally-funded emergency response is relatively robust despite the lack of an integrated county emergency aid office.
What you'll need
- Proof of age 60+ for senior pathway (Texas driver's license, Texas ID, Medicare card, or birth certificate)
- Proof of all household income for the prior 30-60 days (Social Security award letter, pension statement, pay stubs, SSI award letter)
- Proof of El Paso County residency (utility bill, lease, or government correspondence)
- Photo identification
- For emergency rental: notice to vacate OR eviction notice OR documentation of imminent housing loss
- For utility assistance: utility bill + disconnect notice (apply through Project BRAVO first)
- Documentation of household members and ages
Where to apply
Apply online: official application
By phone: 211
Renewals
appropriations-limited at referral partners; benefit availability varies by partner and fiscal year
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Find my benefitsNot legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final eligibility decision.