Hamilton County, TN Senior Help Directory: Chattanooga Programs for Seniors and Families (2026)

Free, plain-English help for seniors and families in Hamilton County, TN. 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 | Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability (SETAAAD), the regional senior-services hub for Hamilton County (home-delivered meals, information and referral, CHOICES, caregiver help, benefits counseling) at 1-866-836-6678, 1000 Riverfront Parkway, Chattanooga, TN 37402 | Hamilton County Trustee for senior property tax relief (423-209-7799)

Property tax relief (apply with the Hamilton County Trustee; senior tax-relief appointments at the Bonny Oaks satellite office, 6125 Preservation Drive, Suite 101, Chattanooga; information line 423-209-7799)

Tennessee runs two separate senior property-tax programs, both handled locally rather than by the state directly. The State Property Tax Relief rebate is a reimbursement, and the Property Tax Freeze locks in your tax dollar amount. In Hamilton County, remember there are two taxing bodies: Hamilton County (Trustee) and, if you live inside the city, the City of Chattanooga (city collecting official). You may need to apply to each one separately. Both programs require that you own and live in the home as your primary residence, and both must be renewed every year. Property taxes are still due on time even while an application is pending (the Hamilton County due date is generally the end of February).

• Tennessee Property Tax Relief Program, elderly and disabled: for homeowners who are 65 or older on or before December 31, 2025, or who were approved for total and permanent disability on or before that date. Your combined 2024 income from all owners of record cannot exceed $37,530. The State of Tennessee reimburses a portion of your property taxes on your home up to a set base value, and Hamilton County has at times added a local match, so ask the Trustee what applies this year. This is a rebate that does not have to be paid back. The 2025 tax-year window has closed (the City of Chattanooga's deadline was April 3, 2026); applications for the next cycle open when 2026 tax bills go out in the fall, so call the Trustee's tax relief line (423-209-7799) to get in the queue.
• Tennessee Property Tax Relief Program, disabled veterans and their surviving spouses: veterans with an honorable discharge and a total and permanent service-connected disability rating, and their surviving spouses, may qualify with NO income limit for relief on a higher base value. Ask the Trustee for the disabled-veteran application (the F-16 form).
• Tennessee Property Tax Freeze Program: for homeowners 65 or older whose income falls under a limit each local government sets. Once approved, the tax dollar amount on your home is frozen so it generally will not go up. The City of Chattanooga participates in the Tax Freeze (apply through the City Treasurer, 423-643-7274; the city's posted income limit was $49,790 in 2024 income for the 2025 tax year, rising to $63,470 for 2026), and the city freeze covers CITY taxes only. Hamilton County had NOT adopted a countywide freeze as of this writing, and county commissioners were scheduled to take the question up again in mid-July 2026, so call the Trustee (423-209-7799) to confirm current availability before you count on it.
• The one move: call the Hamilton County Trustee at 423-209-7799 to confirm which programs you qualify for, whether the county offers the Freeze this year, the base value used, the documents to bring (proof of age, residency, and 2024 income), and the deadline. If you live inside the City of Chattanooga, also ask the City about its Property Tax Relief and Property Tax Freeze at chattanooga.gov.

Food

• The Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability runs the Home Delivered Meals program: a nutritionally balanced noontime meal delivered on weekdays to homebound Hamilton County adults age 60 and older who cannot easily prepare food for themselves. Volunteers also provide a regular safety check. To apply, call SETAAAD at 423-424-4256 or 1-866-836-6678 (1000 Riverfront Parkway, Chattanooga, TN 37402).
• The Chattanooga Area Food Bank is the regional food bank serving Hamilton County. It supplies a network of partner pantries and runs senior groceries programs, including home delivery for seniors with mobility or transportation challenges, mobile pantries with fresh produce, and community meal sites. Find food near you with the map at chattfoodbank.org/find-food/near-you or call 423-622-1800.
• SNAP (food stamps) is based on income, not age, so households of any age can qualify. Apply through TennCare Connect / the Tennessee Department of Human Services online at tn.gov, or call 1-866-311-4287 to reach your local DHS office.
• The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (the monthly USDA senior food box) does not currently operate in Hamilton County (in Tennessee it runs only in Davidson, Dyer, and Shelby counties). For senior food help, ask the Chattanooga Area Food Bank (423-622-1800) about its own senior programs or dial 211.

Energy and utility help

• LIHEAP (the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) for Hamilton County is administered by the City of Chattanooga Office of Family Empowerment. LIHEAP helps income-eligible households (generally at or below 60% of the state median income) with home energy costs, with 2025 to 2026 amounts ranging by energy burden. Apply online at CHA.CITY/LIHEAP or by texting LIHEAP to 423-643-7300; applications for this program year are accepted from November 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026 (or until funds run out).
• Metropolitan Ministries (met-min.org, 423-624-9654) helps Chattanooga-area residents in a financial crisis with rent, utilities, and other emergency needs.
• 211 is the fastest way to find another local crisis fund or church ministry with money for a past-due utility bill.

Medicare, Medicaid, prescriptions

• Tennessee's SHIP program is TN SHIP (the State Health Insurance Assistance Program), free, unbiased one-on-one help with Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D drug plans, Medigap, enrollment, appeals, and fraud. Call TN SHIP statewide at 1-877-801-0044, or ask the Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability (1-866-836-6678) about local Medicare and benefits counseling. Start here before any Medicare decision.
• Medicaid in Tennessee is TennCare. Apply online at TennCareConnect.tn.gov or by phone at 1-855-259-0701 (TTY/Tennessee Relay 1-800-848-0298). TennCare 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 TN SHIP (1-877-801-0044) and Social Security (1-800-772-1213).
• Tennessee has no broad statewide drug-payment program for general seniors, so use TN SHIP to apply for Extra Help and BenefitsCheckUp.org to find manufacturer and nonprofit patient assistance programs for specific medications.

Home repair and safety

• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area runs a Critical Home Repair program aimed largely at homeowners age 60 and older, doing major and minor interior and exterior repairs so people can stay safe in their homes. It covers accessibility work (wheelchair ramps, grab bars, handrails, converting a bathtub to a step-in shower), plus roofing, gutters, exterior doors and windows, HVAC, plumbing, structural repairs, minor electrical, and weatherization. Participants must own and live in the home, which must be inside the City of Chattanooga limits. Learn more at habichatt.org/home-repair.
• Weatherization (insulation, air sealing, and energy-efficiency measures) for income-eligible homeowners in Hamilton County runs through the Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency (SETHRA, sethra.us), the region's community action agency under the state THDA weatherization program; dial 211 if you need help reaching the current intake.
• If your home is in a rural part of Hamilton County, the USDA Section 504 Home Repair program offers low-interest repair loans (and grants for those 62 and older who cannot repay a loan) to remove health and safety hazards. Ask USDA Rural Development in Tennessee or dial 211.
• Dial 211 or call SETAAAD (1-866-836-6678) to be connected to other ramp-building and accessibility-modification help.

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.
• Metropolitan Ministries (423-624-9654) is a longtime Chattanooga source of emergency help with rent, utilities, prescriptions, and other urgent bills for residents in crisis who meet its guidelines.
• The Salvation Army of Greater Chattanooga and area church ministries provide emergency rent, utility, and food assistance; 211 can route you to whichever has funds available.
• For Medicaid, food, and cash programs, apply through TennCare Connect (1-855-259-0701) or the Tennessee Department of Human Services (1-866-311-4287).

Transportation

• CARTA Care-A-Van is the ADA paratransit service of the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority for people whose disability prevents them from using CARTA's regular fixed-route buses. It is a shared, door-to-door service by reservation, and you must be certified as eligible first. To request an application and the required medical verification form, call the Care-A-Van Eligibility Department at 423-698-9038. The fare is $3.00 for trips within Chattanooga city limits and $3.50 for trips that start or end in East Ridge or Red Bank, paid at the time of service (no charge for an approved Personal Care Attendant). Care-A-Van serves Chattanooga, Red Bank, and East Ridge.
• Ask the Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability (1-866-836-6678) about senior-center and other transportation for older adults in Hamilton County, including rides to meal sites and programs.
• Tennesseans with full TennCare and no other way to travel may qualify for free non-emergency medical transportation to covered appointments; ask your TennCare health plan.

Legal help

• Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) provides free civil legal help across Hamilton County from its Chattanooga office at 100 W Martin Luther King Boulevard, Suite 402, Chattanooga, TN 37402 (423-756-4013, toll-free 1-800-572-7457). Adults age 60 and older can get free legal consultations (and free help if they have experienced abuse or exploitation), with representation available for low-income clients in qualifying cases, on issues like powers of attorney, wills, TennCare and Medicare, housing and landlord-tenant problems, consumer and home-repair disputes, and scams. Because of the funding source, some senior services can be provided even when income or assets exceed the usual limits. The Chattanooga office serves Bledsoe, Hamilton, Marion, Rhea, and Sequatchie counties. Learn more at laet.org.
• The Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability (1-866-836-6678) can connect older adults to legal assistance and free benefits counseling.
• Tennessee does not run a single statewide senior legal helpline the way some states do, so Legal Aid of East Tennessee and the AAAD are the front doors for free civil legal help for older adults.

Caregiver support

• The Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability runs the National Family Caregiver Support Program: information and assistance, counseling, respite care, and limited supplemental help (personal care and homemaker services) for unpaid caregivers of an adult 60 or older, and for caregivers of a person of any age with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. Call the intake line at 1-866-836-6678.
• 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

• TennCare CHOICES is Tennessee's Medicaid long-term services and supports program. It pays for in-home care (personal care, home-delivered meals, adult day care, and other supports) for people 65 and older, and adults 21 and older with physical disabilities, who would otherwise need a nursing home but can live safely at home with help. In southeast Tennessee, the Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability is a local screening point: call 1-866-836-6678, or reach the TennCare LTSS Help Desk at 1-877-224-0219.
• PACE (the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) wraps all medical care, therapy, an adult day center, home care, and meals into one program for people 55 and older who meet a nursing-home level of care but can live at home with help. Hamilton County has a PACE program: Ascension Living Alexian PACE, 425 Cumberland Street, Chattanooga, TN 37404 (423-698-0802). Participants must live in Hamilton County, be assessed as appropriate by the PACE team, and be certified by TennCare as needing a nursing-home level of care.
• The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can help you compare programs. Home-delivered meals, in-home help, and paratransit rides also help an older adult stay in the home longer.

Frequently asked questions

Mom is 66 in Chattanooga on a fixed income. Can she cut or freeze her property taxes? Possibly both. Tennessee's Property Tax Relief rebate is for owners 65+ (or disabled) whose combined 2024 income is at or under $37,530, and the county has at times added a local match (ask the Trustee). A separate Property Tax Freeze can lock in the tax dollar amount for owners 65+ under a locally set income limit; the City of Chattanooga offers the Freeze, and the county's participation should be confirmed. Because you live in the city, you may apply to both the Hamilton County Trustee (423-209-7799) and the City of Chattanooga. The 2025 tax-year deadline has passed, so ask both offices when the next application window opens (the fall, when new tax bills go out), what documents to bring, and remember it must be renewed every year.

Dad is homebound in Hamilton County and can't cook anymore. How do we get him meals? Call the Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability at 423-424-4256 or 1-866-836-6678 to apply for Home Delivered Meals, a weekday noontime meal for homebound adults 60 and older, plus a safety check. If you need food sooner, use the Chattanooga Area Food Bank's find-food map at chattfoodbank.org or dial 211.

My parent can't drive and needs rides to the doctor in Chattanooga. What is available? If a disability keeps your parent from using regular CARTA buses, apply for CARTA Care-A-Van paratransit by calling 423-698-9038 (door-to-door by reservation; $3.00 within Chattanooga, $3.50 for East Ridge or Red Bank trips). Care-A-Van serves Chattanooga, Red Bank, and East Ridge. Tennesseans with full TennCare may also qualify for free rides to covered medical appointments through their health plan.

We want to keep Mom at home but her care is getting complex. What pays for in-home care? Tennessee's Medicaid long-term care program, TennCare CHOICES, can bring personal care, adult day care, home-delivered meals, and other in-home supports to someone who would otherwise need a nursing home. Call the Southeast Tennessee AAAD at 1-866-836-6678, or the TennCare LTSS Help Desk at 1-877-224-0219. If she is 55 or older and needs a nursing-home level of care, ask about Ascension Living Alexian PACE in Chattanooga (423-698-0802), which coordinates all of her care in one program.

Sources

• Hamilton County Government, Trustee and Property Tax FAQ (senior tax relief; 2025 income limit $37,530; Bonny Oaks satellite office 6125 Preservation Drive, Suite 101; info line 423-209-7799): https://www.hamiltontn.gov/Trustee.aspx and https://www.hamiltontn.gov/trustee_FrequentlyAskedQuestions.aspx
• Tennessee Comptroller, Property Tax Relief and Property Tax Freeze (state programs administered locally; 2025 relief income limit $37,530; freeze income limits set per locality; Chattanooga city freeze $49,790 for 2025, $63,470 for 2026): https://comptroller.tn.gov/office-functions/pa/property-taxes/property-tax-programs/tax-relief.html and https://comptroller.tn.gov/office-functions/pa/property-taxes/property-tax-programs/property-tax-freeze.html
• City of Chattanooga, Apply for Property Tax Relief and Apply for Property Tax Freeze (city collecting official): https://chattanooga.gov/pay-and-apply/permits-applications/property-tax-relief and https://chattanooga.gov/pay-and-apply/permits-applications/property-tax-freeze
• Chattanooga Times Free Press / NewsChannel9, Hamilton County commissioners weighing a senior property-tax freeze (Nov 2025, county adoption still under discussion): https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2025/nov/12/a-property-tax-freeze-for-older-adults-hamilton/ and https://newschannel9.com/news/local/hamilton-county-proposal-aims-to-freeze-property-taxes-for-seniors-amid-rising-home-values
• Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability, SETAAAD (Hamilton County senior hub; 1000 Riverfront Parkway, Chattanooga, TN 37402; 1-866-836-6678; Home Delivered Meals 423-424-4256; CHOICES; National Family Caregiver Support Program): https://setaaad.org/ and https://setaaad.org/contact-us and https://setaaad.org/nutritional-programs and https://setaaad.org/caregiver-support and https://setaaad.org/in-home-support
• Chattanooga Area Food Bank (regional food bank serving Hamilton County; senior home delivery, mobile pantries, community meals; 423-622-1800): https://www.chattfoodbank.org/ and https://www.chattfoodbank.org/find-food/near-you
• City of Chattanooga Office of Family Empowerment, LIHEAP energy assistance (Hamilton County; apply at CHA.CITY/LIHEAP; text LIHEAP to 423-643-7300; Nov 1, 2025 to Sept 30, 2026): https://chattanooga.gov/services/assistance-programs/energy-assistance-program and https://chattanooga.gov/pay-and-apply/permits-applications/energy-assistance-program/liheap-application-2025-2026
• Metropolitan Ministries, Chattanooga emergency rent and utility help (423-624-9654): https://met-min.org/
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area, Critical Home Repair (60+ focus; ramps, grab bars, HVAC, weatherization; City of Chattanooga limits): https://www.habichatt.org/home-repair
• CARTA Care-A-Van ADA paratransit (eligibility and applications 423-698-9038; $3.00 in Chattanooga, $3.50 East Ridge/Red Bank; serves Chattanooga, Red Bank, East Ridge): https://www.gocarta.org/using-carta/services/care-a-van/ and https://www.gocarta.org/fares/
• TN SHIP (Tennessee State Health Insurance Assistance Program), 1-877-801-0044: https://www.tn.gov/disability-and-aging/disability-aging-programs/tn-ship.html
• TennCare (TennCare Connect 1-855-259-0701) and TennCare CHOICES home and community based services (LTSS Help Desk 1-877-224-0219): https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/long-term-services-supports/choices.html
• Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), Chattanooga office (100 W Martin Luther King Boulevard, Suite 402, Chattanooga, TN 37403; 423-756-4013; serves Bledsoe, Hamilton, Marion, Rhea, Sequatchie; 60+ free consultations): https://laet.org/contact-us/ and https://justiceforalltn.org/resources/legal-aid-of-east-tennessee-chattanooga-office/
• Ascension Living Alexian PACE, Chattanooga (Hamilton County PACE; 425 Cumberland Street, Chattanooga, TN 37404; 423-698-0802): https://www.ascensionliving.org/find-a-community/ascension-living-alexian-pace and https://www.tn.gov/tenncare/long-term-services-supports/the-program-for-all-inclusive-care-for-the-elderly-pace-program.html
• Verified July 4, 2026.

Verified July 4, 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.