Homeless Hotel Vouchers: Could You Qualify?

We’ll let you know what it takes to get one so you can improve your housing situation at least temporarily.

When you find yourself without a home, you begin to brainstorm and think of your housing options. The first option that may pop into your head is to talk to family and friends and see if they have any openings. If so, that could allow you to live with someone you know, feel safe, and possibly not have to worry about paying a penny in rent.

If friends and family are not an option, a homeless shelter is probably next on your list. And while a shelter could give you a place to sleep at night and possibly food plus counseling, it may not be the ideal setting.

Why? Because homeless shelters can be extremely intimidating, especially if you’ve always had your own place. And shelters can also bring problems with sanitation, violence, drug and alcohol abuse, theft, and more that could make you seek somewhere else to stay.

What’s another housing option if you’re homeless? A hotel or motel voucher. What it does is gives you the ability to stay in a hotel or motel even if you don’t have a penny to your name.

As you can imagine, though, these vouchers don’t grow on trees. In fact, they’re very limited and can be challenging to find. But before you give up on searching for a voucher, here are some facts you should know on what it may take to get one.

Qualifying For a Homeless Hotel Voucher

As mentioned, homeless vouchers are pretty rare. This is mainly because paying for a hotel or motel is costly, and the nonprofits that offer vouchers don’t have a never-ending supply of funds.
Agencies must hold fundraisers so they can get the cash to pay for vouchers, and they usually offer them for exceptional circumstances such as:

• You are the victim of domestic violence or some other form of abuse.
• You are homeless due to a disaster like a fire, flood, hurricane, etc.
• Seasonal weather, such as a freezing winter or a scorching hot summer has caused all homeless shelters to fill up, and living on the streets can threaten your health.

Beyond those exceptional circumstances, you may qualify for a voucher if you fit into a specific group, such as being a:

• Single parent
• Single male
• Disabled
• Senior

Maintaining Your Voucher

Even if you qualify for a hotel voucher, it won’t put a roof over your head for long. Motel vouchers are meant as a temporary fix for homelessness, so at the most, you’re looking at a probable three-night stay. Still, you’ll likely need to follow some rules to maintain your homeless voucher for those limited nights, such as:

Checking in with the agency that gave you the voucher, such as the Salvation Army, United Way, Catholic Charities, your local homeless shelter, or your local government.
Proving that you’re actively seeking employment or are working.
Meeting with a counselor to show what you’re doing to end your homelessness.