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Homeless Shelters, Emergency Housing and Help for People Who Are Homeless

News: Changes to emergency housing begin September 1

Beginning September 1, 2026, Vermont’s hotel and motel emergency housing program will become part of the Vermont Homelessness Response Continuum, or VHRC.

Important changes include:

  • a 70-day limit on hotel and motel housing during a household’s one-year eligibility period;
  • a new assessment and waitlist process when there are not enough rooms;
  • new housing-plan and case-management requirements;
  • no required “self-pay” days for households with income; and
  • new limits on the number of hotel and motel rooms available through the program.

See our page on What to Know About Emergency Housing in Vermont for information about applying, eligibility, assessments, extensions, housing plans, and appeals.

This page has a list of housing programs and shelters in Vermont. It also has phone numbers for people who can help you get housing or keep housing. Also, you will find links to resources for food and other help you may need if you are homeless.

Need help to get or keep housing?

As part of a Coordinated Entry System, dozens of local organizations are working together to help those who are experiencing homelessness – or are at risk of homelessness. They can help you find housing and get connected to support and resources in the community. Contact the lead agency in your area to get connected.

Emergency housing in Vermont

  • Looking for a safe place to sleep tonight? Call 2-1-1 to find a shelter near you, or look at our list below.
  • To apply for state-funded hotel or motel emergency housing, call the Department for Children and Families (DCF) Emergency Housing Line at 1-800-775-0506, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You may also apply on paper or at a DCF district office.
  • Beginning September 1, Vermont 211 will no longer process emergency housing applications or issue hotel or motel vouchers after DCF closes. You may still call 211 for information about shelters and other community resources.
  • Being found eligible does not guarantee that a room will be immediately available. See our page on What to Know About Emergency Housing in Vermont for more information.
  • DCF may refer you to Coordinated Entry and require you to participate in an assessment and housing planning. Coordinated Entry can connect households with housing programs and services, but being enrolled does not necessarily mean that you will immediately be assigned a housing case manager. To learn more, contact the lead agency in your area. 
  • If you are denied or terminated from a shelter, subsidy or emergency housing, fill out our form and we will call you back. Or call us for help at 1-800-889-2047. Be sure to give us some details about your problem. Give us as many details as possible about how to reach you. Your information will be sent to Legal Services Vermont, which screens requests for help for both Vermont Legal Aid and Legal Services Vermont.
  • Veterans can get housing help from the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program at 1-844-820-3232 (toll-free); the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-424-3838 (toll-free); or Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs at 1-888-666-9844 (toll-free). Vermont Veterans facing eviction or foreclosure should contact the South Royalton Legal Clinic at VLGS for advice and help.

Updated: Aug 28, 2026