Emergency shelter

2024 will be our 8th year operating our non-congregate Emergency Shelter Program utilizing private motel rooms to provide brief shelter to our homeless neighbors. We provide brief Emergency motel stays for those suddenly experiencing homelessness, and for our chronically homeless neighbors at risk during dangerous weather. We also provide up to two-night Dignity motel stays for those who have not bathed in weeks. We host “Room in the Inn” each year at Christmas to provide two nights in a motel, meals, gifts and more for every unsheltered neighbor we can shelter, because no one should spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Night outside.

• Emergency Motel Stays are a way to protect our unsheltered neighbors during dangerous weather events, such as severe storms, or extreme temperatures. It also acts as a vital safety net for the recently homeless neighbors who are struggling during their first few nights without safe shelter, as well as a growing number of formerly homeless neighbors who live in motels and frequently face evictions due to their inabilities to cover the nightly or weekly rents. Most of them are disabled and live on less than $800 per month, or are the working poor and under-employed.
• Dignity Stays provides up to two nights at a motel for our chronically homeless neighbors who may have gone several weeks without a shower or bed. It gives them a brief respite from the outdoors and a safe night or two under a roof.

We have established relationships with motels spanning our service area that provide discounted nightly room rates and weekly rates. Most of these motels accept our reservations and payments online and check our friends into their rooms without our signature. This allows us to respond quickly to sudden weather events requiring Emergency Motel Stays for dozens of people at a time, without having to visit every motel during a storm. This has been extremely helpful in these times of social distancing.

Designated funding for this critical program fell well short of what we needed in 2024, resulting in a record number of neighbors being denied motel stays. This trend continues so far in 2025. We need your support!