Find where and how to get transitional housing from charities, churches, or government agencies near you. Families that are homeless or facing imminent eviction as well as people who are ex-offenders, veterans, recovering from an addiction or dealing with other events are often the primary beneficiaries of emergency, temporary housing or homeless shelters. Temporary or transitional housing is also for the formerly homeless or women who need a safe place to when leaving domestic abuse.

The goal of these various free transitional housing programs near you, and which are listed below, are to help families both live independently and move into long term, permanent housing or apartments. Most counties one or more charity agencies or local churches that administer these resources for qualified residents. They also offer a number of supportive services in an effort to meet that objective.

Assistance from transitional housing programs near you

Transitional housing is an effort by states, non-profits, charities or local governments to develop and implement housing, case management, and other care for. The programs are for people who are experiencing a specific, time-limited challenge. There may be transitional housing for women (including those with children), drug or alcohol abusers going through rehabilitation, men, immigrants, veterans, the mentally ill and others.

Other examples of free short term housing can include a short term reduction in work hours, individuals that need help in a transition from hospitalization to independent living, formerly homeless individuals that are well on the way to regaining self-sufficiency, single moms and other cases in which someone needs assistance. women fleeing domestic violence can also get help.

Emergency homeless shelters and very short term temporary housing

Homeless shelters are a form of emergency assistance program that provides individuals, women, families, or men a temporary place to stay. There is normally no cost to use a center and a location will sometimes allow a homeless person to stay for a couple weeks, but some are only for overnight stays. The free often overnight housing is often a dormitory-style center that unfortunately does not allow a significant amount of privacy. Individuals will also receive meals, basic needs such as clothing, and personal hygiene items. On occasion a shelter may be full, or maybe the non-profit has extra funding. In these cases motel vouchers may be passed out to pay for a night or so of lodging.

Whether you turn to an emergency shelter or free transitional housing program near you, social workers and staff from a non-profit will almost always offer advocacy and case management. That is the name of a service that offers support measures to people facing eviction or the currently homeless. Staff work with the government and other groups on the need for shelter, transitional and permanent housing, basic human rights, and even food and medical care. Read more on, and find homeless shelters near you.

Information on free transitional housing resources

The specifics and details on each program that may be near you can vary considerably. While a shelter is usually used for a night or two, a transitional housing program can often provide assistance for 90 days or more. In some instances a non-profit may provide support for up to two years, in particular for women fleeing domestic violence, asylum seekers or veterans. The supportive and case management services that are provided by the organization at the same time can run for the same period of time.

The transitional housing services are usually available in apartment style facilities. Families may even receive their own unit to live in that may be near them. Or there will be separate rooms or units for males, females or their children. Substance abuse homes will often have shared rooms but that can vary. Short-term homeless shelters will often have a more open floor plan and not as much privacy. Both resources may be provided at no cost to the family or individual that is enrolled.

One alternative solution, or a type of transitional housing program, is a post-domestic violence shelter program. This is when a non-profit or the government will make low income, affordable rental housing available to women and their children that are coming directly out of a domestic violence shelter. The individual will often generally be able to access legal advocacy and other services during this timeframe.

Non-profits will often provide their assistance to specific groups or people. Examples can be housing solutions for veterans, substance abuse problems, single parents, mentally ill, homeless domestic violence victims, or individuals with AIDS/HIV. There is also free transitional housing for immigrants (undocumented or legal).

When all of the homeless shelters as well as transitional housing units are full, then free vouchers may be available to pay for a motel stay or hotel room. They are only offered in certain cases by a few, select number of organizations near you. When available, it will usually only pay for a stay of a couple nights and will come with a number of conditions. Some of the programs near you may use the free vouchers to allocate the limited space in a shelter system. Or it may be used to pay for a portion of the clients costs towards a transitional housing apartment or home. More on free motel vouchers.

Churches that are part of Family Promise offer homeless families with children access to transitional housing as well as other support services. Volunteers work with the individual to find solutions as well, including help them find employment and a new, permanent home or low income apartment to live in. Those staying in the shelter or transitional housing units can receive meals, free gasoline to get to a job interview, clothing, case management and much more. Read more on Family Promise and Interfaith.

Supportive housing from National Church Residences - They are one of the nation's leading faith based groups that offers long term and temporary housing solutions. They may offer transitional as well as low income apartments and other programs. The elderly, disabled, homeless, and others may all qualify. National Church Residences is mostly focused on those vulnerable groups (sick, seniors, etc) who are most at risk if they were to be homeless.

Assistance for the chronically homeless - An innovative HUD sponsored program known as Housing First can be used for individuals that have been struggling over many months or years. This option will often bypass a shelter or transitional housing program and instead move the family right into their own home or apartment. They then receive support services.

In general, the applicant needs to have an income and be able to pay some of the rent cost on their own. Their income can be from a job, SSI disability, or another source. It emphasizes the disabled, mentally ill, people that are in long term poverty, and survivors of domestic violence. More on Housing First for the homeless.

Often, the recipients of the short term Housing First (or a similar transitional housing program) will end up getting federal government assistance for their future rent. The main service is section 8. States and HUD work together on this and provide vouchers. Read more on section 8 housing program near you.

In addition to the agencies above, the Salvation Army also operates thousands of overnight, temporary homeless shelters near you as well as free transitional housing units across the country. Some are free, others may be income based. The charity also provides free short term support to alcohol or drug abusers, women fleeing violence, ex-offenders and others facing extreme hardships. Find a Salvation Army assistance program near you, and inquire into their transitional housing programs.

Some families need to live in transitional housing as it is too difficult for them to find a new home due to a history of one or more evictions. Some landlords will not lease to those individuals, who were often formerly homeless, as they may be considered to be higher risk, so the families lives in a transitional apartment so they can rebuild their credit, save money for a security deposit, and more. But in these instances there are other ways to get help as well, and find how to rent with a past eviction.

Transitional housing and homeless shelters near you

Resources for the low income and those that need transitional housing are offered by numerous agencies, including non-profits as well as local and state government organizations near you. They can also provide referrals to other nearby towns, government agencies or cities that may have short term housing available. Select your county below.

King County Washington

Orange County California

San Bernardino County

San Diego County

Santa Clara County

Suffolk and Nassau County NY

The above list is only a sampling of some counties and cities. If your region is not listed, short term or transitional housing assistance is still more than likely available near you. In order to locate additional resources that may be more convenient to you, find state aid and assistance.

Short term transitional housing into permanent homes

As indicated, the goal of every single town, city, and state is to ensure people have a safe and affordable home or apartment to live in for the long term. So the non-profit or government agency has a few different approaches to take to meet this objective. These rapid rehousing, permanent programs are often run in partnership with the local homeless shelters or transitional housing programs.

Some of the transitional housing programs will allow families and individuals to continue living in the same apartment complex or home on a temporary basis. They may be able to do this until they regain self-sufficiency and are able to move into permanent housing. The client will normally need to be working, have an income, and take initiative to gain stability.

Any type of transitional or long term program will provide tenants with the rights of tenancy under their local and state law. So this helps ensure the units are clean, protects them with eviction rights, and will provide renters with access to state or local landlord/tenant laws. Find how a free transitional housing program can turn into a long term, permanent home or apartment, and learn about rapid rehousing homeless prevention.


By Jon McNamara
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