Finding a safe place to stay can become urgent when a family loses its home, faces eviction, experiences a financial emergency, or needs to leave an unsafe living situation. Temporary housing assistance can provide a short-term place to stay while a family works toward more stable housing.
Depending on the family's circumstances and location, assistance may include emergency shelters, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, short-term rental assistance, housing stabilization services, and referrals to local programs. HUD funds local organizations that provide homelessness services, but HUD itself generally does not provide direct housing assistance to individuals.
Who May Qualify for Temporary Housing Assistance?
Temporary housing programs may serve families experiencing different types of housing emergencies. Potentially eligible households may include:
- Families who are currently homeless
- Families at risk of losing their housing
- Parents with children who need emergency shelter
- Families leaving an unsafe or abusive home
- Families affected by a natural disaster
- Low-income households experiencing a sudden financial hardship
- Families transitioning from shelters or temporary accommodations
- Veterans and families that include eligible veterans
- Families who recently experienced homelessness
- Households that meet local income and program requirements
Eligibility varies by program. Some services prioritize families with children, people experiencing homelessness, or households facing an immediate risk of losing their housing.
Check What You May Qualify For
A free eligibility check can help identify potential housing resources based on your household, income, location, and current housing situation.
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Programs vary based on income, location, household circumstances, and current housing situation.
Types of Temporary Housing Assistance for Families
Emergency Shelters
Emergency shelters provide temporary accommodations for people who do not have a safe place to stay. Local shelters may also connect families with food, clothing, health services, case management, and longer-term housing resources. HUD's Find Shelter tool helps people locate shelters and other community resources.
Transitional Housing
Transitional housing provides temporary accommodation while families work toward permanent housing and greater stability. HUD describes transitional housing as one of the types of assistance communities may use to address homelessness.
Rapid Rehousing
Rapid rehousing is designed to help people experiencing homelessness move into permanent housing more quickly. Local programs may combine short-term rental assistance with housing search and stabilization services.
Short-Term Rental Assistance
Some homelessness assistance programs can provide temporary rental assistance for eligible families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The availability, amount, and duration of assistance depend on the local program.
Housing Stabilization Services
Families may receive services designed to help them obtain or maintain housing. Depending on the program, these services can include housing search assistance, case management, landlord communication, relocation support, and connections to other benefits.
Disaster-Related Temporary Housing
Families displaced by a disaster may have access to emergency shelter and other disaster recovery resources. Assistance can vary depending on the type and location of the disaster.
Domestic Violence Housing Assistance
Families leaving domestic violence may have access to emergency shelter and specialized housing services. HUD identifies people fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence and other dangerous situations among populations served by certain housing programs.
What If You Cannot Find Temporary Housing?
Temporary housing programs can have limited availability, eligibility requirements, or waiting lists. If one program cannot help, continue contacting local housing organizations and ask about alternative options.
Families facing homelessness can contact 211 for local housing resources. HUD also recommends using its Find Shelter tool and connecting with a local Continuum of Care provider for homelessness assistance.
If you already have a place to rent but are struggling to afford it, ask about rental assistance, public housing, or Housing Choice Voucher programs instead of focusing only on shelters. Housing Choice Vouchers are administered by local Public Housing Agencies and can help eligible low-income families afford private-market housing.
How to Find Temporary Housing Assistance for Your Family
- Assess your immediate situation. Determine whether your family needs emergency shelter tonight, temporary housing for several weeks, or help transitioning into permanent housing.
- Contact 211. In the United States, 211 can connect families with local housing, shelter, and financial assistance resources.
- Search for local shelters. Use HUD's Find Shelter tool to search for shelters and other community resources in your area.
- Contact a Continuum of Care provider. Local Continuums of Care coordinate homelessness services and can connect eligible families with available programs.
- Ask about transitional housing. If your family needs more than a few nights of shelter, ask whether transitional housing is available.
- Ask about rapid rehousing. Families experiencing homelessness may be referred to rapid rehousing or other housing stabilization programs.
- Check rental assistance. If you can maintain a rental with temporary financial support, ask about local rental assistance programs.
- Contact your local Public Housing Agency. Ask about public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and other available housing programs.
- Gather important documents. Keep identification, income information, benefit records, lease documents, eviction notices, and information about your household available.
- Apply as soon as possible. Housing programs can have limited openings, so contact multiple appropriate resources rather than waiting for one application to become available.