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When you need a place to stay
For anyone in the United States with nowhere to sleep tonight, or afraid of losing the place they live, and for the people helping them. Who to call for shelter, the words to say, what to do about an eviction notice, and where to ask for help with rent and bills. Needing a place to stay is not a failure.
Right now
- Call 211. It’s free and confidential. Say you need a place to sleep tonight.
- Or search: HUD’s Find Shelter, by city or zip code.
- Veteran? 1-877-424-3838. A teen or young adult? Call or text 1-800-786-2929. Not safe at home? 1-800-799-7233. All three answer any hour.
- In danger right now? Call 911. Too much to bear? Call or text 988, any hour.
More help
- In New York City? Our checked list of shelter, food pantries and soup kitchens, borough by borough.
- Not enough to eat? When you need food.
- Need changes to keep your home because of a disability? Ask your landlord in writing.
- Someone wants money up front to stop an eviction or get you a grant? Is this a scam?
- Might not have signal? Save our tools on your phone.
- All our free tools and Get help now.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). The steps come from USAGov and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s pages for renters, and the phone numbers and websites were checked on each service’s own site, in September 2026. Hours and rules change, so check with the service. This page saves nothing: no account, no cookies, nothing you tick is stored or sent, and no analytics (privacy). Scarlet Beast is not a government agency, a shelter or a law office and can’t give out housing, money or legal advice. Found a mistake? Email [email protected].