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Homeless Shelters and Help for People Who Are Homeless

This page has a list of 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 to food and other help you may need if you are homeless.

Shelters

Barre

Bennington

Brattleboro

Burlington

Ludlow

Montpelier

  • Bethany Church Shelter
    Intake happens at Another Way at
    125 Barre Street
    Montpelier, VT 05601
    (802) 229-0920

Newport

Proctorsville

Rutland

St. Albans

Vergennes

White River Junction

For more information about shelters, call 2-1-1 or go online to Vermont211.org.

Warming shelters

Churches, agencies and organizations in some Vermont towns have winter warming shelters to offer additional spaces for people who need temporary shelter in the winter. To find out if there is a warming shelter in your area, call 2-1-1 or go online to Vermont211.org.

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. See this list of Coordinated Entry contacts.

Emergency housing

  • The Department for Children and Family's (DCF) Economic Services Division offers housing supports for homeless households. For more information or to apply, contact the Benefits Service Center at 1-800-479-6151. If it is after business hours or on a weekend or holiday, call 2-1-1.
  • When you apply for shelter with DCF, they will let you know if a shelter has opened in your area. You can call 2-1-1 to find out if there is a warming shelter or other shelter in your area.
  • If you are denied or terminated from a shelter or the state’s motel program, call us for help at 1-800-889-2047.
  • If you have used up all your eligibility for VERAP rental assistance, you can apply for emergency housing through the Department for Children and Family's (DCF) Economic Services Division. It is harder to qualify for this program. You can only get 28 or 84 days of General Assistance (GA) housing (depending on your situation) every 12 months.
  • If you stay in a shelter or motel, you need to participate in “coordinated entry.” Through coordinated entry, you will be assigned a housing case manager who will help you access subsidies and programs to help you get permanent housing. To learn more about coordinated entry, call 2-1-1. If you worked with your case manager to apply for a subsidy or other program and your application was denied, call us for help at 1-800-889-2047.
  • 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 Safely Home project for advice and help.

Transitional Housing Program

Vermonters experiencing homelessness or who are about to become homeless may be eligible for emergency housing in some hotels. Read more about the Transitional Housing Program on DCF’s website. To apply, go in-person or call the Department for Children and Family's Economic Services Division (ESD) at 1-800-479-6151.

To be eligible for the Transitional Housing Program, you must:

If you were housed in a hotel under the General Assistance (GA) Emergency Housing rules in place during the COVID pandemic, you are eligible for the Transitional Housing Program.

If your application for the Transitional Housing Program is denied by ESD or you are terminated from the program for any reason, you can ask for an expedited fair hearing. Do this by contacting ESD at 1-800-479-6151 or the Human Services Board at 802-828-2536. If a motel paid for by the Transitional Housing Program asks you to leave, call ESD at 1-800-479-6151. Let them know what happened and ask to be placed in a different motel.

Always ask ESD for a notice of decision, whether you were:

  • approved or denied, or
  • are being terminated from the Transitional Housing Program, or
  • are being moved to a different hotel.

You can also ask us for advice by calling the Legal Services Vermont / Vermont Legal Aid helpline at 1-800-889-2047.

Other resources for people who are homeless

  1. COTS’ Survivor’s Guide to Burlington (Finding shelters, food, services, medical help, counseling)
  2. Help for veterans 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 Safely Home project for advice and help.
  3. Links to Resources for Homeless (HUD)
  4. National Coalition for the Homeless
  5. Our web page about Subsidized Housing
     
Updated: Jul 13, 2022