Chatham County Senior Help Directory: Pittsboro and Siler City Programs for Seniors and Families (2026)

By Ryan Riggins, Riggins Strategic Solutions. NC Real Estate License #361546, eXp Realty.

Last updated June 24, 2026. Important: I am a licensed North Carolina real estate agent, but Riggins Strategic Solutions is an education and media company, not a real estate sales business. I am not here to list or sell your house. This is general education only, not financial, tax, medical, or legal advice. Programs and contacts change, so verify before you rely on them.

If you're caring for an aging parent in Pittsboro, Siler City, or anywhere in Chatham County, there's more help out there than most families ever hear about. Here it is in plain English, grouped by what you'd actually go looking for. It's part of our growing Senior Help Directory.

Three local front doors open most of these:

NC 211: dial 2-1-1. Free, 24/7. Routes you to rent, utility, food, and medical help.
Chatham County Aging Services: the county's lead aging agency (Meals on Wheels, family caregiver support, SHIIP Medicare counseling, a medical-equipment loan closet), reached through the Pittsboro Center for Active Living at 919-542-4512 or the Siler City Center for Active Living at 919-742-3975.
Chatham County DSS: 919-542-2759. Medicaid, food benefits, and energy assistance.

Property tax relief

North Carolina's senior tax programs are administered by the Chatham County Tax Administration Listing Division (12 East Street, Pittsboro; mailing P.O. Box 908; Listing Division 919-542-8250; general Tax Office 919-542-8211). The application deadline is June 1. Chatham completed a revaluation effective in 2025, so values changed countywide — watch your mail for appeal and relief windows.

Elderly or Disabled Exclusion: greater of $25,000 or 50% off taxable value. Income limit $38,800 for the 2026 tax year. Age 65+ or totally and permanently disabled as of January 1.
Circuit Breaker: caps tax at a percentage of income (4% or 5%) up to a $58,200 income limit, for owners 65+ or totally and permanently disabled who have owned and occupied the home at least five years. CAUTION: it's a deferral, not forgiveness. The deferred tax becomes a lien with interest, due when the home is sold or the owner passes. It requires a new application every year, and you cannot combine it with the Homestead or Disabled Veteran Exclusion. Understand it before you sign.
Disabled Veteran Exclusion: $45,000 off, no income limit, no age requirement. Uses Form NCDVA-9 (completed by the NC Division of Veterans Affairs). An unmarried surviving spouse may also qualify.
Local extra: Chatham County Low Income Tax Relief Program (TRP). Run through the county's Affordable Housing office, this local program gives up to $500 of property tax assistance (no more than 50% of the current year's bill) for income-eligible residents who have owned and lived in the home at least five years and are current on their taxes. Eligibility uses a published household-income chart; households already receiving Food and Nutrition Services skip the income paperwork, and as of June 2025 receiving other tax relief does not disqualify you. For the current income limits and to apply, email emergency.housing@chathamcountync.gov.

The state programs use Form AV-9 (Chatham provides a current 2026 application); disabled applicants under 65 also need Form AV-9A completed by a physician. If you missed the June 1 deadline, call and ask: late applications can sometimes be accepted for good cause. For the full walk-through of how these statewide programs work (and the Circuit Breaker lien trap in particular), see our guide to NC senior property tax relief.

Food

Chatham County Aging Services runs Home Delivered Meals (Meals on Wheels) for homebound older adults and congregate lunch at its two senior centers: the Pittsboro Center for Active Living (365 Highway 87 North; 919-542-4512) and the Siler City Center for Active Living (112 Village Lake Road; 919-742-3975). Call either center to ask about eligibility and start meals.
CORA Food Pantry (Chatham Outreach Alliance) is the county's main food pantry: free groceries for Chatham residents, and it delivers food to home-bound older adults. 919-542-5020 (40 Camp Drive, Pittsboro; info@corafoodpantry.org).
Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina supplies a network of partner pantries across Chatham. Use its online Food Finder at foodbankcenc.org/food-finder or dial 211.
SNAP (food stamps) through Chatham County DSS is income-based, so working families qualify too. Apply at epass.nc.gov or 919-542-2759.

Heating, cooling, and utility bills

LIEAP (a one-time heating payment) and the year-round Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) for a heating or cooling emergency, through Chatham County DSS (102 Camp Drive, Pittsboro; 919-542-2759) or epass.nc.gov. Households with a member 60+ or a disabled member can apply starting in December.
211 is the fastest way to find a local crisis ministry or church fund with money available for past-due utilities near you.
Duke Energy offers customer assistance for past-due accounts; ask them directly or let 211 connect you.

Medicare, Medicaid, and prescriptions

SHIIP free, unbiased Medicare counseling from the NC Department of Insurance. Chatham County Aging Services hosts a local SHIIP program — reach it through the Pittsboro Center for Active Living at 919-542-4512, or call the statewide SHIIP line at 1-855-408-1212. Start here before any Medicare decision.
Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help / Low-Income Subsidy: apply through Chatham County DSS or ask SHIIP.
NC MedAssist Free Pharmacy for uninsured NC residents under the income limit: 1-866-331-1348.

Home repairs and safety

Weatherization Assistance Program: free energy-efficiency work (insulation, air sealing, heating and cooling repair or replacement, and health-and-safety fixes) for income-eligible households, with the elderly, people with disabilities, and families with children served first. Chatham names Rebuilding Together of the Triangle and Central Piedmont Community Action as the local weatherization agencies, but application windows open and close — dial 211, ask Chatham County DSS (919-542-2759) about energy programs, or use the NC State Energy Office "Find Your Service Provider" tool to confirm who is taking Chatham applications right now.
USDA Section 504 grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62+ in eligible rural areas, through USDA Rural Development.
Chatham County Aging Services Durable Medical Equipment loan closet: borrow wheelchairs, canes, bath benches, shower chairs, and bedside commodes at no cost and return them when you're done. Contact Wynne Fields, Aging In Place Specialist, at 919-545-8419.

Rent, housing, and emergency cash

NC 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.
CORA Food Pantry (919-542-5020) helps with food and can refer families to other basic-needs resources in Chatham County.
Chatham County's Affordable Housing office handles housing-related help; for emergency housing questions, email emergency.housing@chathamcountync.gov.
Chatham County DSS administers emergency assistance and adult services. 919-542-2759.

Transportation

Chatham Transit Network (CTN) is the county's community transportation provider. It runs two weekday fixed routes (the PX and 64 routes) connecting Siler City, Pittsboro, and Chapel Hill, plus an In-County Service giving curb-to-curb reservation rides anywhere in Chatham County, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Reserve at least 48 hours ahead at 919-542-5136. CTN also runs medical-trip programs (Project Health Rides).
Rides to the two senior centers run five days a week, arranged through Chatham County Aging Services; call the center nearest you (919-542-4512 Pittsboro, 919-742-3975 Siler City).
Residents with full Medicaid and no other way to travel may qualify for free non-emergency medical transportation; ask Chatham County DSS at 919-542-2759.

Legal help

NC Legal Aid Senior Legal Helpline: free civil legal help for anyone 60+, no income limit (powers of attorney, wills, Medicaid and benefits, housing, scams). 1-877-579-7562, Monday to Friday 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m.
Central Pines Area Agency on Aging (the regional aging agency for Chatham, formerly Triangle J): free options counseling, benefits help, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman for nursing-home and assisted-living complaints. 1-800-310-9777.
Legal Aid of North Carolina general intake for lower-income residents under 60: 1-866-219-5262.

Caregiver support

Chatham County Aging Services runs a full Family Caregiver Support Program: respite help, the medical-equipment loan closet, incontinence supplies (through the Diaper Bank of North Carolina), the six-week Powerful Tools for Caregivers class, and a respite voucher program for caregivers of an adult 60+ with physical or mental needs. Contact William Riggsbee, Family Caregiver Specialist, at 919-545-8422. Caregiver support groups meet at the Pittsboro and Siler City centers (and virtually); ask for the current schedule.
Central Pines Area Agency on Aging also administers the regional Family Caregiver Support Program. 1-800-310-9777.

Staying at home instead of a nursing home

Piedmont Health SeniorCare is the PACE program based right in Chatham County, at 163 Chatham Business Drive, Pittsboro. PACE coordinates a senior's entire medical care, primary care, a day center, therapy, personal care, prescriptions, and transportation, so someone who would otherwise qualify for a nursing home can keep living at home. For adults 55+ at a nursing-home level of care who live in the service area (Chatham, Alamance, Caswell, Lee, Orange, and the Hillsborough-area 27278 zip of Durham). 919-545-7337, enrollment 877-714-2100.

How to use this list

Don't try to call all of it. Pick the one pressure point hurting most right now and start there, or call 211 and let them point you. An adult child can call and apply on a parent's behalf, just have proof of age, proof of income, and the paperwork handy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I start finding senior help in Chatham County?

Start with three front doors. NC 211 (dial 2-1-1) is the free 24/7 line that routes you to rent, utility, food, and medical help. Chatham County Aging Services is the county's lead aging agency for meals, caregiver support, and Medicare counseling, reached through the Pittsboro Center for Active Living at 919-542-4512. Chatham County DSS at 919-542-2759 handles Medicaid, food benefits, and energy assistance.

What property tax relief is available to seniors in Chatham County?

The statewide North Carolina programs apply through Chatham County Tax Administration's Listing Division at 919-542-8250: the Elderly or Disabled Exclusion (2026 income limit $38,800), the Circuit Breaker (a deferral that caps tax at a percentage of income up to a $58,200 limit and becomes a lien), and the Disabled Veteran Exclusion ($45,000 off, no income limit). The deadline is June 1. Chatham also runs its own Low Income Tax Relief Program (up to $500 off) through Affordable Housing.

How do older adults in Chatham County get meals?

Chatham County Aging Services runs Meals on Wheels for homebound seniors and congregate lunch at its two senior centers (Pittsboro 919-542-4512, Siler City 919-742-3975). CORA Food Pantry (919-542-5020) gives out groceries and delivers to home-bound older adults, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC Food Finder lists local pantries, and SNAP is available through Chatham County DSS at 919-542-2759.

My parent can't drive. What transportation does Chatham County offer?

Chatham Transit Network provides curb-to-curb rides anywhere in the county plus weekday routes to Chapel Hill; call 919-542-5136 and reserve at least 48 hours ahead. Chatham County Aging Services arranges rides to its senior centers five days a week. Riders with full Medicaid may qualify for free non-emergency medical transportation through DSS at 919-542-2759.

I'm Ryan Riggins. I spent years on the investor side of real estate, then switched to educating families through senior transitions so they don't get taken advantage of during the hardest season of their lives. This guide is free. If it helped, pass it on.

Ryan Riggins | Riggins Strategic Solutions | NC Real Estate License #361546 | eXp Realty | rigginsstrategicsolutions.com

Disclaimer: Ryan Riggins is a licensed North Carolina real estate agent (#361546, eXp Realty). Riggins Strategic Solutions is an education and media company, not a real estate sales business. This guide is not a solicitation to buy, sell, or list your home, and it is not financial, tax, medical, or legal advice. We are not financial advisors, tax advisors, attorneys, or medical providers. Programs, income limits, and contacts change and vary by individual situation. Confirm current details directly with each program or a licensed professional before making any decision.