HomelessHelp.net
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Understand homelessness.
A free, independent directory of shelters and crisis resources across the United States and Canada — paired with plain-language guides on what actually works.
375+
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232
Cities covered
13
Crisis hotlines
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I need help
Find the nearest shelter, day center, food program, or crisis line. Filter by who the resource serves. Always free.
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I want to help
Concrete, evidence-based ways to volunteer, donate, and act. Includes what shelters actually need (it's probably not used clothes).
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I want to learn
Plain-language guides on the causes of homelessness, what works to reduce it, and how to talk to someone on the street.
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All articles →Foundations
The actual causes of homelessness
Homelessness is not caused by personal failure. It is caused, overwhelmingly, by the gap between what housing costs and what people earn — plus everything that pushes people toward that gap.
3 min read
Foundations
Common myths about homelessness — and what's actually true
The most repeated claims about homelessness are usually wrong. Here are the ones that get in the way of helping.
3 min read
Populations
Homelessness by population: who is affected, and how
Veterans, youth, families, women, LGBTQ+ people, and Indigenous people experience homelessness in distinct ways and need different kinds of help.
3 min read
Action
How to talk to someone experiencing homelessness
A short, practical guide for the moments when you pass someone on the street and want to do the human thing.
3 min read
Foundations
The three types of homelessness
Homelessness isn't one experience. Understanding the difference between transitional, episodic, and chronic homelessness changes how you think about who needs what.
2 min read
Solutions
What actually works: Housing First and the evidence
Two decades of research point in the same direction. Get people housed first, then work on everything else. It is cheaper and more humane than the alternative.
4 min read
If you need help tonight
Call 211 for shelter referrals. Call 988 if you're in crisis. Call 911 for emergencies.
These are free, confidential, and answered 24/7 across the US and Canada.
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