Facing Homelessness? Steps to Take Today for Shelter and Help

If you need help right now

Call 211 and press 6

Dial 2-1-1 from any phone and press 6 for homeless services. If no one answers, or you hear that the service is not available where you are, go to 211.org's local 211 finder and enter your ZIP code to get your local 211 number.

Tell the 211 specialist where you are, who is with you (children, a partner, pets), and whether you need a bed tonight. Ask for the name and number of every place they give you.

Call these lines if they fit your situation

Who you are	Who to call
Anyone in danger	911
Fleeing domestic violence	National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), TTY 1-800-787-3224, or text START to 88788
A veteran	National Call Center for Homeless Veterans: 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838), open 24 hours a day
A teen or young person, or a runaway	National Runaway Safeline: 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929), or text, chat or email
In emotional crisis or thinking about suicide	988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call 988, any time of day

If you are not sure who to call, the USAGov Contact Center at 1-844-USAGOV1 (1-844-872-4681) can point you to the right federal resource.

Find a shelter for tonight

Emergency shelter is for the short term while you work on a longer plan. Under HUD's rules for local homeless systems, shelters are supposed to have as few barriers to entry as possible, and you should be able to reach emergency services even when the local intake office is closed. Getting into an emergency shelter is not supposed to wait on a ranking of who is most in need.

Ways to find a bed:

• Ask 211 for shelters near you that have space tonight.
• Call the homeless service provider for your area on HUD's Need Homeless Assistance? list (more on that list below).
• If you are fleeing abuse, call the domestic violence hotline. It can help you find a program or shelter near you.
• Veterans can call 1-877-424-3838 for help finding temporary housing.

When you reach a shelter, ask what time to arrive and what you can bring.

Get into your area's homeless system (coordinated entry)

Most housing help for people who are homeless runs through a local group called a Continuum of Care, or CoC. HUD gives money to these local partners. HUD itself does not give direct help to individuals.

Each CoC runs a process called coordinated entry. You do one intake and assessment, and the CoC uses it to refer you to housing and services in its area. That can include shelter, rapid rehousing, transitional housing or permanent supportive housing, depending on what your area offers.

How to find your local Continuum of Care

1. Go to HUD's Need Homeless Assistance? page.
2. Filter by your state.
3. Find the provider listed for your city or county. Each row shows a phone number and the name of the Continuum of Care it covers.
4. Call and say: "I am homeless (or about to be) and I want to do a coordinated entry assessment."

Many states also list a "Balance of State" CoC. If you don't see your city or county, call that one. In many places, 211 is also one of the ways in, so the 211 call you already made may count.

What happens at the assessment

Everyone who comes in through coordinated entry in your area is assessed with the same standard tool. For permanent housing programs, the CoC ranks people so that those with the most severe needs and highest vulnerability are helped first. That can mean a wait for housing even after you are assessed.

Things that help:

• Give a phone number or another way to reach you, and tell them right away if it changes.
• Ask what the next step is and who will contact you.
• Ask whether they have homelessness prevention help if you are still housed. HUD allows CoCs to have separate ways in for prevention, such as at a courthouse or hospital.

If you are about to be evicted

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) lays out what to do if you're facing eviction. The steps depend on how far along the eviction is.

If no eviction case has been filed yet

• Apply for rent help. State, tribal and local groups run these programs, and each state has its own rules. Call 211 or search 211's housing expenses page for programs near you.
• Talk to your landlord about a repayment plan.
• Ask a housing counselor, legal aid office or social services office whether your area has rules that delay eviction while you wait for rent help.

The CFPB says it may take several weeks to get rental assistance money after you apply. Don't wait to apply until you have an eviction notice.

If your landlord has filed an eviction case

• Get legal help. You may qualify for free legal aid based on your income. Find it at LawHelp.org or through the Legal Services Corporation.
• Call the court clerk. Ask when your written answer is due, when your court date is, and whether the court offers mediation or a housing counselor.
• File an answer that explains your situation, including any rent help you have applied for.

If the court has already ruled against you

Ask the court whether it can pause the eviction while a rental assistance application is processed. Ask rent help programs whether they cover moving costs, security deposits or application fees for a new place. Talk to legal aid or your local bar association.

For more on your rights as a renter, see our guide to landlord and tenant rental housing rights.

Free help from a housing counselor

HUD-approved housing counseling agencies can help you find local resources and make a plan. Some offer low- or no-cost rental counseling, but not all, so check that "rental" is on an agency's list of services. Call 800-569-4287 or search for a HUD-approved housing counselor.

Apply for longer-term housing help

Shelter and rapid rehousing are short term. At the same time, put your name in for longer-term rental help through your local public housing agency (PHA).

1. Find your PHA on HUD's PHA contact list.
2. Ask whether the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) waiting list or the public housing waiting list is open.
3. Ask whether the PHA has a local preference for people who are homeless. Federal rules let each PHA set its own local preferences based on local needs, and they must be written in the PHA's Administrative Plan.
4. Be ready to give information about your household's income, assets and members. The PHA uses it to decide whether you qualify and how much help you can get.

Applying is free. Only the PHA decides whether you qualify. HUD's Office of Inspector General warns that housing authorities and government agencies "will never ask you to pay for admission to housing assistance programs or to join a waitlist." Don't answer social media ads offering a spot on a waitlist, and don't give your Social Security number in reply to one. Report scams to the HUD OIG Hotline at 1-800-347-3735.

If you have questions about the voucher or public housing programs, the HUD PIH Customer Service Center is at (800) 955-2232. These guides walk through the process:

• Emergency Section 8: how to apply and get approved fast
• The steps to Section 8

Veterans who are homeless can ask about HUD-VASH, which pairs a Housing Choice Voucher with case management and clinical services from the VA. Call 1-877-424-3838.

Keep up with other basic needs

Housing help can take time. Other benefits can cover some needs while you wait.

• Food: you can apply for SNAP through your state agency. See our guide on how SNAP works and how to apply.
• Cash help for families with children: see our TANF eligibility guide.
• Utility bills: if you are trying to stay in your home, contact your local LIHEAP office or call the National Energy Assistance Referral Hotline at (866) 674-6327.
• A phone: Lifeline is a federal program that lowers the cost of phone or internet service for people with low incomes. Check whether you qualify for Lifeline and how to apply.

To see which other programs you might qualify for, try our benefit finder.

Keep your papers together

Programs will ask for documents, and lost papers can slow you down. Keep these in one folder or bag, and take phone photos of each one if you can:

• Photo ID for adults, and birth certificates and Social Security cards for everyone in the household
• Proof of income, such as pay stubs or benefit letters
• Your lease, any eviction notice, and court papers
• Any letters from shelters, PHAs or programs

Keep a simple log too: who you talked to, their phone number, the date, and what they told you to do next. If a program turns you down, ask how to appeal and ask for a referral to someone else who might help.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first thing I should do if I'm about to be homeless?

Call 211 and press 6 for homeless services. If you have an eviction notice or court papers, also contact free legal aid through LawHelp.org the same day.

Does it cost anything to get shelter or apply for housing help?

No. Calling 211 is free, and housing authorities and government agencies will never ask you to pay to apply for housing assistance or to join a waitlist. Report anyone who asks for money to the HUD OIG Hotline at 1-800-347-3735.

What is coordinated entry?

It is the single intake process your local Continuum of Care uses to assess people and refer them to housing and services. Find your area's contact on HUD's Need Homeless Assistance? page, or ask 211.

Can HUD give me a place to stay?

HUD does not provide shelter or services directly. It funds local partners, so your help will come from your local 211, Continuum of Care, shelters and public housing agency.

Can I get help if I'm not homeless yet?

Yes, in many areas. Ask 211 and your local Continuum of Care about homelessness prevention, apply for emergency rent help, and talk to a housing counselor or legal aid before your eviction moves forward.

I'm a veteran. Where do I start?

Call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838), any time of day. Ask about temporary housing and about HUD-VASH.

Sources

• Helping Americans: Experiencing Homelessness, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, accessed October 2026
• Need Homeless Assistance?, HUD Exchange, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, accessed October 2026
• Notice CPD-17-01: Coordinated Entry Process Requirements, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, accessed October 2026
• PHA Contact Information, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, accessed October 2026
• 24 CFR 982.207: Waiting list: Local preferences in admission to program, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, accessed October 2026
• Get emergency housing, USAGov, accessed October 2026
• Get emergency rent assistance, USAGov, accessed October 2026
• Avoid eviction, USAGov, accessed October 2026
• Get a lawyer and legal assistance at low cost, USAGov, accessed October 2026
• Get help paying for phone and internet service, USAGov, accessed October 2026
• The 988 Lifeline and other mental health services, USAGov, accessed October 2026
• What to do if you're facing eviction, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, accessed October 2026
• Get help paying rent and bills, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, accessed October 2026
• Beware of Fake Assisted-Housing Waitlists (Fraud Bulletin, August 1, 2024), HUD Office of Inspector General, accessed October 2026