Chatham County, GA Senior Help Directory: Savannah Programs for Seniors and Families (2026)

Free, plain-English help for seniors and families in Chatham County, GA. Education, not advice. Verify before you rely on it.

Start here (works anywhere)

• 211 (dial 2-1-1), Eldercare Locator 1-800-677-1116, BenefitsCheckUp.org, Medicare 1-800-633-4227, Social Security 1-800-772-1213, VA 1-800-827-1000, Alzheimer's 24/7 Helpline 1-800-272-3900, National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-372-8311, Crisis Lifeline 988

Three local front doors: 211 | Coastal Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging, the coastal Georgia aging and disability resource line for Medicare counseling, meals, in-home help, caregiver support, and transportation (912-920-2414 or toll-free 1-800-948-4824) | Senior Citizens Inc. of Savannah, the local nonprofit that runs Meals on Wheels and senior programs (912-236-0363)

Property tax relief (apply with the Chatham County Board of Assessors, 222 West Oglethorpe Ave., Suite 113, Savannah; 912-652-7271; the Chatham County Tax Commissioner bills and collects)

Georgia is a county-driven state, and Chatham County's signature break is the Stephens-Day exemption, one of the longest-running home-value freezes in Georgia. Two things to know up front: in Chatham you file homestead and special senior exemptions with the Board of Assessors (1st floor of the Pete Liakakis Government Building, 222 West Oglethorpe Ave., Suite 113), and the filing deadline is tied to your annual notice of assessment, not a fixed date. Applications filed on or before the 45-day appeal deadline shown on that year's assessment notice count for the current year; anything later starts the next tax year. You must apply in person as the property owner (or through someone with your power of attorney), and bring a Georgia ID or driver's license at the property address.

• Regular homestead exemption: any owner who lives in the home as their permanent residence on January 1 and whose name is on the title. Rental and second homes do not qualify, and only one homestead is allowed per family group. This is the base you need before you can add the senior exemptions.
• Stephens-Day exemption: the local star. It freezes the home's taxable value at the adjusted base year (the value the year before you applied, plus later improvements), so future increases in market value do not raise the county portion of your bill. For the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System levy and City of Savannah bills, a Consumer Price Index percentage is added to the base year value (so those are capped rather than fully frozen). An unremarried surviving spouse can keep the Stephens-Day exemption originally granted to the deceased spouse.
• New school-tax homestead exemption (approved by voters in November 2025): Chatham County voters approved, with about 79 percent support, a new homestead exemption that uses your home's base-year value to figure the Savannah-Chatham County school taxes, freezing that value rather than letting it climb with inflation each year (the same idea as Stephens-Day, now extended to the school portion). The county is still setting the rollout, including the first tax year it applies and how to claim it, so ask the Board of Assessors at 912-652-7271 whether it is in effect for your bill and what you need to do.
• Senior School Tax Exemption: for qualifying older homeowners, this can take $30,000 off the Savannah-Chatham County School Maintenance and Operations assessed value plus $30,000 off the Chatham County assessed value. It is age- and income-based, so ask the Board of Assessors what the current age and income thresholds are.
• Other special exemptions the Board of Assessors administers for those who already hold homestead: a School Tax Disability exemption, a Special Chatham County exemption, the Disabled Veteran (or unremarried surviving spouse) exemption, a Floating Homestead exemption, a City of Savannah exemption, and a Tax Deferral for the Elderly (which postpones rather than forgives tax, so ask how it comes due). The right one depends on your age, income, and disability status.
• The one move: call the Chatham County Board of Assessors at 912-652-7271, or visit 222 West Oglethorpe Ave., Suite 113, and ask them to confirm your regular homestead, your Stephens-Day exemption, and every senior or disability exemption you qualify for, and to tell you this year's filing deadline (it follows your assessment-notice appeal date).

Food

• Senior Citizens Inc. (SCI) runs Meals on Wheels of Coastal Georgia, delivering meals to homebound older adults in Chatham and neighboring counties, generally between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Call 912-236-0363 or toll-free 1-866-579-2116 to start, or email questions@seniorcitizens-inc.org.
• America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia is the regional food bank serving Savannah and Chatham County. It supplies a network of partner pantries and runs senior-focused programs including the monthly Brown Bag food box for low-income seniors and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). Find help at helpendhunger.org or by dialing 211.
• SNAP (food stamps) is income-based, not age-based, so working families qualify too. Apply online at Georgia Gateway (gateway.ga.gov), by phone at 1-877-423-4746, or through your Chatham County DFCS office.

Energy and utility help

• LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) for Chatham County is run by the Economic Opportunity Authority for Savannah-Chatham County Area (EOA), the local community action agency. LIHEAP helps with home heating and cooling and with crisis (past-due or disconnection) situations, with eligible households able to receive up to two payments a year, and seniors 65 and older often get an earlier application window for heating season. EOA takes applications by appointment until funds run out. Reach EOA at 912-238-2960 or its energy-assistance line, or schedule online at eoasga.org.
• You can also find your energy-assistance agency through Georgia DFCS at dfcs.georgia.gov (search LIHEAP) or 404-657-3426, or dial 211.
• 211 is the fastest way to find a local crisis fund or church ministry with money for a past-due utility bill, and your utility (such as Georgia Power) may offer its own customer assistance for past-due accounts.

Medicare, Medicaid, prescriptions

• Georgia's SHIP program is Georgia SHIP / GeorgiaCares, delivered in coastal Georgia as Coastal GeorgiaCares through the Coastal Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging. Free, unbiased one-on-one help with Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D drug plans, Medigap, enrollment, appeals, and fraud. Call the Coastal RC AAA at 912-920-2414 or 1-800-948-4824, or the statewide line at 1-866-552-4464 (option 4). Start here before any Medicare decision.
• Medicaid in Georgia runs through the Division of Family and Children Services. Apply online at Georgia Gateway (gateway.ga.gov), by phone at 1-877-423-4746, or at your Chatham County DFCS office. Medicaid can help pay Medicare premiums and long-term-care costs for those who qualify.
• Medicare Savings Programs (help paying Part A and B premiums) and Extra Help / the Low-Income Subsidy (lower Part D drug costs) are screened and applied for through Georgia SHIP / Coastal GeorgiaCares (912-920-2414) and Social Security (1-800-772-1213).
• Georgia has no general statewide drug-payment program for seniors, so use Coastal GeorgiaCares to apply for Extra Help and BenefitsCheckUp.org to find manufacturer and nonprofit patient assistance programs for specific medications.

Home repair and safety

• The City of Savannah runs housing rehabilitation and owner-occupied repair help for income-eligible homeowners inside the city; ask the City of Savannah Housing and Neighborhood Services department or dial 211 for the current intake.
• Georgia's Weatherization Assistance Program (free insulation, air sealing, and heating and cooling safety work for income-eligible households, with older adults served first) is funded through the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) and delivered by local community action agencies. In Chatham that is the Economic Opportunity Authority (eoasga.org, 912-238-2960); ask them or dial 211 for the weatherization intake.
• Dial 211 for ramp-building and other accessibility-modification help from area nonprofits, and ask the Coastal RC AAA (912-920-2414) or Senior Citizens Inc. (912-236-0363) what minor home-repair or safety help they can connect you to.

Rent, housing, emergency cash

• 211 is the fastest route to temporary rent and utility help near you and will point you to whichever local ministry or fund has money right now.
• The Economic Opportunity Authority (EOA, eoasga.org, 912-238-2960) runs basic-needs, self-sufficiency, and energy programs across Chatham County.
• The Salvation Army of Savannah, St. Vincent de Paul, and area church ministries provide emergency rent, utility, and food assistance; 211 can route you to whichever has funds available.
• Your Chatham County DFCS office administers food, cash, and Medicaid programs; apply at gateway.ga.gov or 1-877-423-4746.

Transportation

• Chatham Area Transit (CAT) runs the local paratransit service, CAT Mobility (long known as Teleride), for people whose disability keeps them from using regular CAT buses, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, throughout Chatham County. You must apply and be certified first: call 912-233-5767 to request an application and set up the required in-person eligibility interview. Once certified, book rides through Teleride Information and Reservations at 912-354-6900, available 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., seven days a week.
• The Coastal Regional Commission also operates regional rural and human-services transportation; ask the Coastal RC AAA (912-920-2414) what is available for older adults in your area.
• Georgians with full Medicaid and no other way to travel may qualify for free non-emergency medical transportation to covered appointments; ask your Medicaid plan or DFCS.

Legal help

• Georgia Senior Legal Aid (the Georgia Senior Legal Hotline) gives free legal advice, brief service, and referrals to any Georgian 60 and older and their families, on issues like powers of attorney, wills, Medicaid and public benefits, housing, consumer problems, and scams. Call 404-389-9992 or toll-free 1-888-257-9519.
• The Georgia Legal Services Program, Savannah Regional Office, provides free civil legal help to lower-income Georgians and to residents 60 and older across Chatham and the surrounding coastal and southeast counties. Office: 6602 Abercorn Street, Suite 203, Savannah, GA 31405, 912-651-2180. Statewide intake is also at 1-833-457-7522.
• The Coastal Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging (912-920-2414) runs the Elderly Legal Assistance Program for older adults and can refer you to the right legal aid program.

Caregiver support

• The Coastal Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging runs the Family Caregiver Support Program for the coastal Georgia region: one-on-one support, respite, counseling, training, and help navigating services. Call 912-920-2414 or 1-800-948-4824.
• Senior Citizens Inc. (912-236-0363) offers adult day programs, caregiver resources, and the home-delivered meal program that gives working family caregivers some relief. The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline (1-800-272-3900) is there any hour for dementia caregiving questions.

Staying at home instead of a nursing home

• Georgia does not yet have an operating PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program, though the state is working to launch PACE. PACE wraps all medical care, therapy, a day center, home care, and home-delivered meals into one program for people 55 and older who meet a nursing-home level of care but can live safely at home with help. To ask whether a PACE site has opened in coastal Georgia, call the Coastal RC AAA (912-920-2414) or the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116).
• The main route to staying home in Chatham today is Georgia's Medicaid home and community based care: the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) and SOURCE provide in-home personal care, adult day health, home-delivered meals, and other supports for people who would otherwise need a nursing home. The Coastal RC AAA (912-920-2414) screens for these, and you can also ask your Chatham County DFCS office.
• The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can help you compare programs. Home-delivered meals, in-home help, and CAT Mobility rides also help an older adult stay in the home longer.

Frequently asked questions

My mom is 68 in Savannah and her home value (and tax bill) keeps climbing. What is the one call to make? Call the Chatham County Board of Assessors at 912-652-7271 and ask them to confirm she has the regular homestead exemption AND the Stephens-Day exemption, which freezes the county taxable value at her base year so future increases do not raise that part of the bill. In November 2025 voters also approved a new homestead exemption that extends a base-year freeze to the Savannah-Chatham school taxes, so ask whether it is in effect for her bill yet. Then ask whether she qualifies for the Senior School Tax Exemption (up to $30,000 off the school value plus $30,000 off the county value, age- and income-based). The filing deadline follows the 45-day appeal date on her annual assessment notice, so ask them for this year's exact cutoff.

Dad is homebound near Savannah and can't cook anymore. How do we get him meals? Call Senior Citizens Inc. at 912-236-0363 (or toll-free 1-866-579-2116) about Meals on Wheels of Coastal Georgia, which delivers to homebound older adults in Chatham County. The Coastal RC AAA (912-920-2414) can also assess him for home-delivered meals and other in-home help. If you need food sooner, find a pantry through helpendhunger.org (America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia) or by dialing 211, and ask about the senior Brown Bag and CSFP boxes.

My parent can't drive and needs rides to the doctor in Chatham County. What is available? If a disability keeps your parent from using regular CAT buses, apply for CAT Mobility / Teleride paratransit by calling 912-233-5767 to get an application and schedule the eligibility interview. Once certified, book rides at 912-354-6900 (8 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week). Georgians with full Medicaid may also qualify for free non-emergency medical transportation to covered appointments.

We want to keep Mom at home but her care is getting complex, and there is no PACE in Georgia yet. What are the options? Georgia's PACE program is still being launched, so the main path today is Georgia Medicaid home and community based care: the Community Care Services Program (CCSP) and SOURCE can bring in personal care, adult day health, home-delivered meals, and other in-home supports for someone who would otherwise need a nursing home. The Coastal RC AAA (912-920-2414) screens for these, and the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can help you compare options.

Sources

• Chatham County Board of Assessors, Homestead Exemptions, Stephens-Day, and Special Exemptions (222 West Oglethorpe Ave., Suite 113, Savannah, GA 31401; 912-652-7271; filing deadline tied to the annual assessment-notice 45-day appeal date; Senior School Tax Exemption, Tax Deferral for the Elderly, etc.): https://boa.chathamcountyga.gov/Exemptions and https://boa.chathamcountyga.gov/Exemptions/Property
• Chatham County school-tax homestead exemption approved by voters November 2025 (base-year freeze extended to Savannah-Chatham school taxes; rollout being set by the county): https://www.wtoc.com/2025/11/05/chatham-county-voters-pass-school-tax-homestead-exemption/
• Chatham County Tax Commissioner (bills and collects; chathamtax.org): https://www.chathamtaxcommissioner.com/ and http://www.chathamtax.org/
• Georgia Department of Revenue, statewide property-tax homestead exemptions: https://dor.georgia.gov/property-tax-homestead-exemptions
• Coastal Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging / Coastal Georgia AAA and ADRC (4811 Waters Ave., Savannah, GA 31404; 912-920-2414; toll-free 1-800-948-4824; serves Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh; Coastal GeorgiaCares SHIP, meals, caregiver, legal, transportation): https://www.coastalrc.ga.gov/aging and https://aging.georgia.gov/locations/coastal-georgia-area-agency-aging
• Georgia SHIP / GeorgiaCares statewide line, 1-866-552-4464 option 4: https://aging.georgia.gov/georgia-ship
• Senior Citizens Inc. (SCI), Meals on Wheels of Coastal Georgia (912-236-0363 / 1-866-579-2116; serves Chatham and nearby counties): https://seniorcitizensinc.org/meals-on-wheels-of-coastal-georgia and https://seniorcitizensinc.org/homedelivered-meals
• America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia food bank, Brown Bag and CSFP senior programs: https://helpendhunger.org/ and https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank/second-harvest-of-coastal-georgia-inc
• Economic Opportunity Authority for Savannah-Chatham County Area (EOA), LIHEAP energy assistance (912-238-2960; eoasga.org): https://www.eoasga.org/liheap and https://www.eoasga.org/
• Georgia DFCS, LIHEAP / energy assistance (404-657-3426): https://dfcs.georgia.gov/services/low-income-home-energy-assistance-program-liheap
• Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) Weatherization Assistance Program: https://gefa.georgia.gov/weatherization-assistance-program
• Chatham Area Transit (CAT) Mobility / Teleride ADA paratransit (eligibility 912-233-5767; reservations 912-354-6900): https://catchacat.org/getting-around/with-a-disability/paratransit-service/
• Georgia Senior Legal Aid / Senior Legal Hotline, 60+ statewide (404-389-9992 / 1-888-257-9519): https://www.georgialegalaid.org/organization/georgia-senior-legal-hotline and https://aging.georgia.gov/tools-resources/elderly-legal-assistance-program
• Georgia Legal Services Program, Savannah Regional Office (6602 Abercorn Street, Suite 203, Savannah, GA 31405; 912-651-2180; serves Chatham and surrounding counties): https://www.glsp.org/need-help/
• Georgia Medicaid (Georgia Gateway gateway.ga.gov, 1-877-423-4746) and Chatham County DFCS: https://medicaid.georgia.gov/how-apply and https://dhs.georgia.gov/locations/chatham-county-dfcs
• Georgia PACE status (in development; not yet operating) and Medicaid CCSP / SOURCE home and community based care: https://dch.georgia.gov/programs/program-all-inclusive-care-elderly-pace-updates

Verified June 30, 2026. Program names, phone numbers, income limits, and deadlines change. Confirm directly with each program before you rely on it.

Ryan Riggins, NC Real Estate License #361546, eXp Realty. Riggins Strategic Solutions is an education and media company, not a real estate sales business. Not financial, tax, medical, or legal advice. Programs and contacts change, confirm directly before relying on them.