A Safe Place to Sleep Tonight

What it is

Emergency shelter and safe housing when you have nowhere to go.

Why it helps you

Safety comes first. You cannot build a life while you’re in danger.

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Calming Your Body, and every other Topic.

Where to get help

You do not need ID or money to call any of these lines. You do not need to know the right words. You can say, “I’m not safe where I am, and I need a place to sleep tonight.”

Many shelters can let you in without ID. If you have no papers, tell them. Staff can often help you start getting them.

Find a bed near you

211 (United Way) A free phone line that connects you to help where you are. This includes shelters, food, and other services.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: Anyone in the United States
How to start: Dial 2-1-1 from any phone. They will ask for your city or ZIP code. If 211 doesn’t connect, use the website to find your local 211.
Good to know: 211 says it is open 24/7 and confidential. A shelter may have its own rules, like curfews. If a shelter doesn’t feel right for you, ask 211 about other choices.

USA.gov: Get emergency housing The government’s own page of ways to find shelter, by state.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: Anyone
How to start: Open the page and follow the links for your state.
Good to know: You need internet. A library computer works.

The Salvation Army Runs emergency shelters in many towns, with meals, case management, and help finding housing.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: People who need a place to stay. Each shelter sets its own rules.
How to start: Use the “Find Help Near You” search on their website, or ask 211.
Good to know: Religious group. The Salvation Army calls itself “an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.” It says it serves people of any religion. Shelters ask guests to stay sober and not bring alcohol, drugs, or weapons. Rules differ by shelter, so ask what is expected.

If someone is hurting you or controlling you

National Domestic Violence Hotline Trained advocates who help you make a safety plan and find a safe place to stay. Many safe shelters keep their address secret to protect the people inside.

Cost: Free and confidential
Who can use it: Anyone who is being hurt, threatened, or controlled by someone close to them. If you’re not sure your situation “counts,” you can still call.
How to start: Call 1-800-799-7233 (1-800-799-SAFE). If it isn’t safe to talk, text START to 88788. You can also chat on the website.
Good to know: Open 24/7. Spanish is available. On their website, press the Escape key twice to leave the page fast.

StrongHearts Native Helpline A helpline run for Native Americans and Alaska Natives facing domestic or sexual violence.

Cost: Free, confidential, and anonymous
Who can use it: Native Americans and Alaska Natives
How to start: Call 1-844-762-8483 (1-844-7NATIVE). Or text START to 1-844-762-8483, or chat on their website.
Good to know: Open 24/7.

The Deaf Hotline Help in American Sign Language (ASL) from Deaf advocates, for Deaf people facing abuse.

Cost: Free and confidential
Who can use it: Deaf, DeafBlind, and hard of hearing people
How to start: Video call 855-812-1001.
Good to know: Open 24/7.

If you are young

National Runaway Safeline A crisis line for young people who have left home, are thinking about it, or have no safe place to go.

Cost: Free and confidential
Who can use it: Young people. Its free bus ticket program, Home Free, is for ages 12 to 21.
How to start: Call or text 1-800-786-2929 (1-800-RUNAWAY). Or chat on the website.
Good to know: Open 24/7. See Getting Around for the Home Free bus ticket.

National Safe Place: TXT 4 HELP Tells you the nearest “Safe Place.” These are places like schools, fire stations, libraries, and some businesses where a young person can walk in and ask for help.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: Young people in crisis
How to start: Text SAFE and your city, state, or ZIP code to 4HELP (44357). Text 2Chat to the same number to text with a person.
Good to know: Open 24/7.

Covenant House Shelters for young adults, with meals, showers, and help with next steps.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: Ages 18 to 24. Only in some cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Detroit, New Orleans, Washington DC, and others. Check the list on their site.
How to start: Find the closest shelter on their list and walk in, day or night. No referral needed.
Good to know: Shelters are open 24/7. Their main phone, 1-800-388-3888, answers weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern. Faith-based. Covenant House says it is “inspired by faith.” It says it welcomes all youth “without judgment or conditions.”

More help for certain groups

National Call Center for Homeless Veterans VA counselors who help veterans find housing.

Cost: Free
Who can use it: Veterans without a safe home, and people helping them
How to start: Call 1-877-424-3838 (1-877-4AID-VET). Or chat on the website.
Good to know: Open 24/7.

Holding Out HELP A Utah nonprofit for people leaving polygamous groups. They help with basic needs, housing, case management, and counseling.

Cost: Not listed on their site. Ask when you call.
Who can use it: People from a polygamous culture. Based in Utah.
How to start: Call 801-548-3492, or email help@holdingouthelp.org.
Good to know: Phones are answered Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mountain time. This is not a 24/7 line. At other times, call 211 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Cherish Families A nonprofit for people and families from polygamous communities. They help with basic needs and housing, crisis support, and counseling.

Cost: Not listed on their site. Ask when you call.
Who can use it: People from polygamous backgrounds. Offices in Alpine, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona.
How to start: Call 928-875-0969.
Good to know: Phones are answered Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is not a 24/7 line.

Footsteps Support for adults leaving ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities. They offer peer support, small grants, and help with school and work.

Cost: Free to join. Almost everything they offer is free.
Who can use it: People 18 and older from ultra-Orthodox communities.
How to start: Call 1-877-783-7755 (877-STEPS-55).
Good to know: Based in New York City, with many programs online for people anywhere in the US. They are not a shelter. For a bed tonight, call 211 too.

Mission to Amish People: New Beginnings Homestead A home for young women who are leaving the Amish, with guidance and help getting started on their own.

Cost: Not listed on their site. Ask when you call.
Who can use it: Young women leaving Amish communities. Based in Greenwich, Ohio.
How to start: Call 419-962-1515, or email map@mapministry.org.
Good to know: Religious mission. This is a Christian ministry. Its website says it was started “with the purpose of evangelizing and discipling Amish and Former Amish.” The site does not say whether residents must take part in religious activities, so ask before you go.

If you only do one thing first

Dial 2-1-1 and say you need a place to sleep tonight. If someone may hear you, or someone is hurting you, text START to 88788 instead. A real person will help you find the next step.

Watch out for

“Free housing” offers from strangers. Be careful if someone online or on the street offers free rent, cash, or gifts to move into a house. Some “sober homes” and “treatment centers” do this to bill your health insurance. Find housing through 211 or a hotline instead.
Free tickets to a far-away program. Be wary if a stranger offers to fly or bus you to another state for a “recovery home.” Real hotlines help you find safe places, and they check where you’re going.
Anyone who wants to keep your ID. A safe shelter will not take your ID, insurance card, or phone “for safekeeping” and refuse to give them back. Keep your papers with you.
Wrong phone numbers online. Scammers sometimes change the phone number on map listings. Get numbers from 211, a hotline, or the place’s own website.
Someone checking your phone. If someone may look at your phone or computer, use a library computer or a friend’s phone to look for help.