Emergency Housing

The following list outlines a handful of overnight shelter options in the Denver Metro area. Eligibility requirements and waiting lists may apply.

Single Women

  • Unaccompanied women over age 18 may call Delores Project (303-534-5411) for shelter availability on Mondays. First time guests can call at 10:00 a.m. and returning guests can call at 11:30 a.m. Women may also phone nightly to see if there are no show vacant beds available at 5:30 p.m. A small number of Delores Project’s beds are randomly assigned at The Gathering Place on Monday mornings at 9:30 a.m.
  • Emergency shelter is available through St. Francis Center’s partnership with Capitol Hill United Ministries Women’s Homeless Initiative.
    • Women’s Homeless Initiative’s beds are randomly assigned at 8:15 a.m. at St. Francis Center (2323 Curtis). Women who are assigned a bed must return to St. Francis Center by 5:00 p.m. for check-in. If a bed is unclaimed it will be filled by women on the waitlist. St. Francis Center will provide transportation for women to partner churches promptly at 5:30 p.m.
  • Catholic Charities will provide shelter for up to 70 women nightly through the Holy Rosary program at Samaritan House (Broadway at Lawrence).
    • Women over 18 may arrive at Samaritan House (Park Ave. at Lawrence) between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. for shelter in the Holy Rosary program.
    • Additional women will be able to access chartered bus transport from Samaritan House to overflow shelter starting at 7:00 p.m.
    • Women utilizing the Holy Rosary emergency shelter at Samaritan House will be given preference for any shelter openings in the Samaritan House Extended Stay program. Openings in the Extended Stay programming are randomly assigned at 8:00 p.m.
  • If no shelter options are available and temperatures are below 40 degrees, women may arrive at Samaritan House (Park Ave. at Lawrence) from 6:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. to obtain a motel voucher. Please see DHS Motel Vouchers Policies below.

Single Men

  • Salvation Army Crossroads (1901 29th St.) randomly assigns emergency shelter placements on Sunday and Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Those assigned a bed will secure the bed until the next random drawing is held. Working homeless individuals can obtain a bed for a modest reservation fee.
  • Denver Rescue Mission provides nightly shelter at their Lawrence St. location (Park Ave. at Lawrence St.), as well as staging and transport to overflow shelter. Men should arrive at the Lawrence St. location between 5:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to sign up for shelter that evening. Shelter is assigned randomly between the Lawrence St. location and overflow. In the evening, walkups will be accepted at Lawrence Street for transport to overflow, or accommodation at Lawrence St. until 10:00 p.m. If busses have already transported to overflow and the Lawrence St. Shelter fills, or if individuals arrive after 10:00 p.m., referrals will be made to other area shelters with confirmed capacity. City of Denver police may bring individuals in need of shelter to Lawrence St. after 10:00 p.m.
    • Bus transportation for overflow shelter at the Peoria facility will stage and depart from Lawrence St. Community Center (2222 Lawrence St.) starting at 7:00 p.m. as well as Salvation Army Crossroads (1901 29th St.) starting at 6:30 p.m.
    • All guests must arrive and depart from overflow by charter bus.
    • No walkups are allowed at the overflow shelter.
    • Guest men of the overflow shelter will be able to sign up for next day bed assignment at the overflow.
    • Guests can also sign up for next day bed assignment upon being transported back to Lawrence St. Community Center in the morning.

Unaccompanied Youth

Unaccompanied individuals between the ages 15 and 21 may obtain shelter at Urban Peak (1630 S. Acoma St.). Youth should phone the shelter prior to arrival at 303-974-2908 to assure there is a vacancy. If the shelter is full, youth will be referred to other sheltering options.

Transgender Individuals

Families

  • Families may obtain motel vouchers at Samaritan House (Broadway at Lawrence) from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., seven days a week if all shelter options are at capacity. Please review DHS Motel Voucher Policies below.
  • Family Promise provides extended shelter to families at numerous church sites in Denver. Families may call 303-675-0713 to complete an initial phone screening if there are openings. Families that qualify will be invited to an interview prior to enrollment in the program. Family Promise may be able to arrange offsite shelter for family cats and dogs through a partnership with PetSmart.

Expanded Emergency Shelter Information

  • An additional bus will deliver two consecutive transports of men from Salvation Army Crossroads (1901 29th St.) starting at 6:30 p.m. These transports are in addition to the transports staged and coordinated nightly from Denver Rescue Mission’s Lawrence Street Community Center starting at 7:00 p.m.
  • All morning return trips for men will arrive at the Lawrence Street Community Center.
  • An additional hall has been opened at Peoria to accommodate additional men in need of shelter. Staffing by Denver Rescue Mission and bedding at the site have been increased to accommodate additional guests.

DHS Motel Voucher Policies

If shelters reach capacity women, families, and adults with doctor issued medical statements verifying medical conditions may be assisted with a motel voucher from Denver Human Services (DHS). 

  • Individuals or heads of household must demonstrate residency in Denver County. 
  • People may not receive more than 12 nights of motel vouchering within the previous 12 consecutive months.
  • During winter months (October-April) if the overnight lows are below 40 degrees, DHS will voucher after 7:00 p.m. at Samaritan House (Park Ave. at Lawrence) for single nights only. Proof of residency is not required for single night vouchering during cold weather days when temperatures drop below 40 degrees.
  • Emergency shelter assistance locations and hours:
  • Denver Human Services, Richard T. Castro Center, 1200 Federal Blvd, General Assistance, Monday - Friday  9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
  • Samaritan House (Park Ave at Lawrence), seven days a week, 5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
  • Vouchers will NOT be distributed for failure to access shelter options that have capacity (i.e. missed bus, behavioral restrictions, refusal of shelter options available, etc...).

Additionally, during Cold Weather Policy (Oct-April) the Denver Sheriff Department will accept direct referrals for single women who are accompanied by a community partner for emergency assistance. For example, DPD and Street Outreach Teams.

  • Denver Sheriff at the Downtown Detention Center, 490 W. Colfax Ave.
  • Families only, seven days a week, after 9:00 p.m.

Pets Needing Shelter

If individuals experiencing homelessness need shelter for their pets, animals can be left in the Denver Animal Shelter night drop boxes, which are always open and are indoors so they are heated.

Additional Resources

Below are additional housing resources

If none of the above options work for your situation, other housing options may exist, contact the Student Care Center at 303-615-0006 to discuss your specific situation with a case manager.