Homeless Hotel Vouchers: Everything You Need To Know

When you’re homeless, you may feel as if you’re all alone and nobody cares about your housing situation. That’s not true, however, as you can move into a homeless shelter to put a roof over your head and possibly get help with food, healthcare, and more. But you also have another housing option, which is to get a hotel or motel voucher for the homeless. Here are some details on vouchers you should know before you start searching for one.

The Purpose of Hotel Vouchers

A hotel voucher is meant to help a homeless person sleep in a safer, cleaner, and more private place than a shelter. It achieves this goal by paying for a hotel or motel room so that the homeless can experience that lodging despite a lack of money.

Hotel Vouchers as a Temporary Housing Solution

A homeless hotel or motel voucher usually offers the recipient a very short stay. On average, that stay equals a maximum of three nights. For this reason, you should look at homeless vouchers as a very quick fix and not a source of housing stability.

Homeless Hotel Voucher Availability

As you would expect, homeless hotel vouchers are limited. Many homeless people would love to have the chance to stay in a hotel or motel, but it’s not possible due to the costs involved. Agencies must hold fundraisers to afford vouchers, so those efforts limit their availability.

Homeless vouchers may increase during summer or winter months featuring extreme weather. This is to ensure the homeless do not fall sick by living on the streets in harsh conditions.

It’s worth noting that you will have to stay in a hotel or motel chosen by the agency due to the costs. You probably will not get to pick your own. Also, motel vouchers are more common than hotel vouchers since they are less expensive.

Eligibility for Motel Vouchers

Motel voucher eligibility varies according to location and agency. You can gain priority over others if you are homeless due to a disaster like a flood or a hurricane. If you are a domestic violence victim, that may work in your favor as well.

Some agencies offer vouchers to specific groups as a way to filter out applicants. For example, you may get a hotel voucher if you’re a single parent, senior, single male, or disabled.

Motel Voucher Rules

If you are awarded a motel voucher, you will probably have to follow specific rules to keep it. You may need to meet with a counselor to plan how you’ll escape homelessness. You may need to check in with the agency and show you’re employed or looking for a job as well.

Where to Find Homeless Hotel Vouchers

You can begin your search for a hotel voucher by contacting the following:

• • Salvation Army
  • Catholic Charities
  • Dial 211 on your phone
  • Find a homeless assistance program near you
  • Your local homeless shelter
  • The Just Shelter website