HomelessHelper — Source library
Public documentation snapshot: 2026-09-08
Choose your state and county
On the HomelessHelper home page, pick your state, then your county, to see local shelter, food, healthcare, shower, and other essential-service listings for that area. County data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau. If you are not sure which county you are in, you can leave it unset and still see statewide listings and the official nationwide finders.
Filter by the kind of help you need
After choosing a location, use the category filters to narrow results to shelter, food, healthcare, showers, or other categories. Each listing shows its address, phone number when available, and a short description of the services offered, along with a source note showing where the listing information came from.
Save a listing or get directions
You can save a listing to your help list to find it again later, get directions to the address, or call the listed phone number directly from the result. None of this requires creating an account.
Call or text 988 for crisis support
If you or someone else is in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline any time, day or night. This is a free, confidential national service and is not specific to HomelessHelper.
Call 211 for local shelter, food, and benefits help
211 is a free nationwide referral line that connects you to local shelter, housing, food, transportation, legal help, and benefits programs in your area, in addition to the listings on HomelessHelper. HomelessHelper links to your local 211 as one of the official nationwide finders on the home page.
For a life-threatening emergency, call 911
HomelessHelper is a directory of services, not an emergency dispatch service. If there is an immediate danger to life or safety, call 911 directly rather than searching the directory.
Why claim a listing
Imported directory listings (from sources like HRSA, HUD, and OpenStreetMap) are unclaimed by default and do not receive an account automatically. An organization claims its own listing to publish live availability updates such as open beds, meals remaining, or a temporary closure.
How verification works
Sign in to the provider workspace with AutoSecureLogin, then submit a claim with your organization's official email and website. A verified official email whose domain matches the organization's website is the primary, fastest verification path. If that is not available, you can submit supporting documents and an official evidence link instead, which an administrator reviews.
Listings stay visible during a dispute
If three or more distinct signed-in people file a reasonable complaint about the same listing's ownership within 30 days, it creates a review alert for an administrator. The listing stays visible and ownership does not change automatically just from complaints — a human reviews the details first.
How to submit a resource
Sign in to the provider workspace, then use the "Submit a new resource" form to propose a listing that is missing from the directory. Provide the resource name, categories, location, services offered, and your connection to the resource, such as that you work or volunteer there.
Nothing publishes automatically
Every submitted resource is held for administrator review before it appears in the public directory. This applies equally to a single submission and to research-sourced batches, so nothing reaches the public directory without a human check first.
Suggest a correction
If a listing's hours, phone number, address, services, or website look wrong, sign in and use the "Suggest a correction" form to tell HomelessHelper what should change and why, ideally with a link to an official source.
Report a problem or ownership concern
Use the "Report a problem" form for a safety concern, a listing that appears closed, possible fraud, or an ownership dispute. Reports get a basic reasonableness check, and even at the three-report threshold described in the claiming article, HomelessHelper does not automatically delete a listing or transfer ownership.
Official and community sources
HomelessHelper's directory combines HRSA-funded health centers, HUD-approved housing counseling agencies and public housing authorities, OpenStreetMap community-mapped locations, and organization-submitted listings that have been reviewed and approved by an administrator. Each listing shows a source note so you can see where its information came from.
Information can be out of date
Hours, availability, and contact details can change faster than any directory can track. If a listing looks wrong or a location has closed, use the correction or report tools described elsewhere in this help center so it can be reviewed and fixed.