Below are free, trusted resources for tonight, for keeping the housing you have, and for finding a stable home for the long run. Every one of them was checked before we listed it.
Shelter, safety, and someone to talk to — day or night.
Dial 211 from any phone, day or night, and a local specialist will help you find emergency shelter, food, rent and utility help near you. It’s free, confidential, and available in many languages — often the fastest first call when you don’t know where to start.
Dial from any phone, 24/72-1-1 Search on 211.orgThe U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s free search tool. Enter your ZIP code to find emergency shelters, food pantries, health clinics, and clothing banks near you. No sign-up needed.
Find shelter near youIf home isn’t safe, call any time, 24/7, or text START to 88788. Trained advocates can help you make a safety plan and connect you with emergency shelter. Free and confidential, with interpretation available in many languages.
thehotline.orgVeterans who are homeless or at risk — and their families, caregivers, and friends — can call 24/7. The call is free and confidential, and you don’t need to be enrolled in VA health care. Trained staff connect you to housing help, case managers, and VA benefits.
Call 24/7 — 1-877-4AID-VET1-877-424-3838 VA call center detailsThe federally designated hotline for young people who have run away, are thinking about it, or have nowhere safe to stay — and for their families. Call or text 1-800-RUNAWAY, 24/7. Confidential and judgment-free; they can find local resources and even arrange a free bus ride home through their Home Free program.
Call or text 24/7 — 1-800-RUNAWAY1-800-786-2929 1800runaway.orgA nonprofit that runs shelters and housing programs for young people ages 18–24 facing homelessness, with locations in more than two dozen U.S. cities — including Los Angeles and Oakland. Every young person gets a bed, meals, health care, and a case manager. Walk-ins are welcome at their local doors.
Find a Covenant HouseBehind on rent, facing eviction, or struggling with bills? Acting early makes all the difference — these services exist for exactly this moment.
Free or low-cost expert advice from HUD-certified counselors on avoiding eviction or foreclosure, catching up on rent or mortgage, budgeting, and finding affordable housing. Call to be connected to an approved agency near you — help is available in many languages.
HUD housing counselingThe big COVID-era federal rental assistance program has wound down, and the old national “rental assistance finder” tool has been retired — but many states, counties, and cities still run their own rent and eviction-prevention programs. The fastest way to find what’s active where you live is to call 211 or check the CFPB’s help-for-renters guide. Apply early: funds can take weeks to arrive, and beware of scammers — real programs never charge a fee to apply.
Ask what’s active in your area2-1-1 CFPB help for rentersIf you’ve received an eviction notice, free legal aid can make a real difference — many legal aid offices focus on housing cases. LawHelp.org connects you to trusted nonprofit legal aid and know-your-rights guides in every state, and the Legal Services Corporation’s “I Need Legal Help” lookup finds the federally funded legal aid office serving your area.
Find free legal aidThe Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps eligible households pay heating and cooling bills, handle energy crises and shut-offs, and make minor energy-related repairs. Call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) line, weekdays 9am–7pm ET, to find where to apply in your state.
About LIHEAPWaiting lists can be long — which is exactly why it’s worth getting on them now, even while you use other help.
A voucher that helps pay part of your rent in privately owned housing — you generally pay about 30% of your income and the voucher covers the rest, up to a limit. You apply through your local Public Housing Agency (PHA), not HUD directly; use HUD’s PHA lookup to find yours. Be prepared: many waiting lists are long, and some open only at certain times, so it’s worth getting on the list even while you use other help.
PIH Customer Service Center1-800-955-2232 Find your local PHAAffordable apartments owned and managed by local Public Housing Agencies for low-income families, older adults, and people with disabilities, with rent set based on your income. You apply directly to your local PHA with proof of income and household information; if you qualify, you go on a waiting list until a unit opens.
How public housing worksIf you live in (or can move to) a rural area, USDA offers no-down-payment home loans for low- and moderate-income buyers, low-interest loans and grants to repair a home you own, and affordable rural rental apartments — many with Section 521 rental assistance that caps rent near 30% of income. Start at rd.usda.gov or contact your state Rural Development office.
USDA rural housing programsHomelessness help has changed a lot in the last two decades. Knowing how the system works makes it far easier to use.
An approach built on a simple idea: people can rebuild their lives best once they have a stable home, so housing comes first — without requiring sobriety, employment, or program participation as a precondition. Support services like counseling, treatment, and job help are offered once someone is housed, on a voluntary basis. Research consistently shows this approach keeps most people stably housed, including those with the most complex needs. Learn more
Short-term help designed to move people out of homelessness and back into a regular apartment quickly. Programs offer three things: help finding a unit, temporary rental and move-in assistance (typically a few months up to about two years), and case management to stabilize. It’s meant as a bridge — most families who receive it stay housed after the assistance ends. Learn more
Long-term affordable housing paired with ongoing support services, for people with disabilities who have experienced long or repeated homelessness. There’s no time limit — the rental assistance and services (like health care, mental health, and case management) continue as long as they’re needed. It has some of the highest housing-retention rates of any homelessness program. Learn more
Every region has a local homelessness network called a Continuum of Care, and each one runs a single “coordinated entry” system — one front door for all homeless services in the area. Instead of calling dozens of programs, you complete one standardized assessment, and the system matches you to the housing and services that fit your situation, prioritizing those with the greatest need. Calling 211 or a local shelter or outreach team is usually how you get connected to your area’s coordinated entry.
We meticulously identify and acquire derelict or underutilized properties across Los Angeles County, specifically targeting opportunities to create low-income housing. We then collaborate with a network of Los Angeles’s best contractors, architects, and skilled tradespeople to meticulously renovate and develop these properties.
Our focus is on transforming them into safe, modern, and energy-efficient homes that are genuinely affordable for individuals and families in need. We help people everywhere — from our locations in Los Angeles, North Bay Village, Las Vegas, and Camino, and wherever the need finds us.
Ask us for help — we’ll call you backPlease note: These organizations are independent public resources — Chesed Foundation is not affiliated with them and cannot guarantee their services. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
