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Emergency housing
Need a safe place tonight?
Call the access point for your area. Same-night shelter may be possible, but it depends on an open bed. Call as early as you can.
A voucher or subsidized apartment is not immediate housing. Those options require assessment, a referral or a waitlist.
Start here for shelter tonight
For immediate danger, call 911.
Washington, DC
Shelter Hotline places people and can arrange transportation. Families can call Virginia Williams during intake hours.
Same-night placement is typicalPrince George’s County
The 24/7 Homeless Hotline screens callers, tries diversion help, then seeks a shelter bed if one is open.
Same-night if a bed is openMontgomery County
Single adults can call or walk into the Crisis Center. Families should use a DHHS regional office, or call after hours.
24/7 assessment; beds can be limitedFairfax County
Call Coordinated Services Planning on weekdays. Families with children should call CSP before contacting a shelter.
Same-day may be possibleArlington County
Call the Centralized Access System during business hours. After hours, weekends and holidays, call the emergency line.
Live after-hours help 24/7Alexandria
Call the Homeless Services Assessment Center on weekdays. Year-round shelter requires an HSAC assessment first.
Winter shelter is walk-in Nov 1–Apr 15Loudoun County
Call Coordinated Entry on weekdays. The head of household must speak directly with intake; calls after hours are returned the next business day.
Assessment and referral, not a bed guaranteePrince William County
All county emergency-shelter referrals go through Coordinated Entry, including shelters serving Manassas and Manassas Park.
Weekdays 8:30 AM–5:30 PMVouchers, subsidized units & rapid rehousing
These can lower rent after the emergency, but none offers a same-week apartment.
- Rapid rehousing: coordinated-entry referral is required; a realistic move-in timeline is several weeks to a few months. Start with the shelter line above.
- Emergency Housing Vouchers: no new admissions are being made as the federal EHV program winds down. Program status
- Montgomery County: Housing Path covers voucher and public-housing waitlists, but the average Housing Choice Voucher wait is about 6.5 years. MPDU rentals are below-market units applied for directly at each complex.
- DC: the DCHA voucher and public-housing waitlists are closed. New voucher applications are not being accepted.
- Prince George’s County: the Housing Choice Voucher, Project-Based Voucher and public-housing waitlists are currently closed. No immediate subsidized-housing application is available.
- Fairfax County: Northern Virginia Family Service’s rental subsidy program is referral-only through county partners and moves only when a slot opens.
- Arlington: the current voucher waitlist status was not confirmed for October 2026. Call the county HCV office at (703) 228-1450; applying never guarantees a voucher.
- Alexandria: no separate rapid-rehousing application was verified. Start with HSAC above for assessment and referral.
- Loudoun County: the official Housing Choice Voucher page does not state whether the waitlist is currently open. It is not an emergency-housing path.
- Prince William County: the voucher waitlist is closed. The county says it does not provide emergency or immediate housing, and assistance may take months to years.
Facing eviction but still housed?
Apply before leaving the home. Funds are limited and usually require documents and review.
- DC: ERAP may cover up to 5 months of back rent, fees and court costs. Application rounds open and close; call (202) 507-6666 to check whether applications are open.
- Montgomery County: call (240) 777-0311. A court judgment or sheriff’s notice is required. Eligibility and documents
- Prince George’s County: the county ERAP portal is closed to new applications; call 311 or the 24/7 Homeless Hotline above for screening and alternatives.
- Fairfax County: call CSP at (703) 222-0880 for limited, case-by-case rent assistance.
- Arlington: call the Community Assistance Bureau at (703) 228-1300. The county assesses at-risk households for prevention support or financial assistance. Official assistance page
- Loudoun County: Loudoun Cares’ eviction program is open through Dec. 31, 2026, or until funds run out; a COVID-19 economic-impact factor and landlord participation are required. Call (703) 669-4636.
- Prince William County: prevention referrals go through Coordinated Entry at (703) 792-3366. Funding and review timelines are not published. Official prevention page
- Alexandria: call (833) 522-5582. A decision can take up to 7 business days after all documents are submitted. Official program details
Before you call
Have your location ready
Many programs serve only specific counties or cities. Use the region filter to narrow the list.
Ask what to bring
Eligibility rules and documents vary. Call first and ask which identification, notices or benefit records are required.
Confirm availability
Waitlists and office hours can change. A listing here does not guarantee enrollment, funding or an open bed.
Information was checked against official government and organization websites in October 2026. Each listing links to its source where a confirmed page was available.
Are you a case manager or social worker?
This directory is maintained by Martin Azugha, a Community Support Specialist with nine years in community behavioral health. He also creates practical digital toolkits for helping professionals — documentation templates, benefits navigation binders, safety planners, burnout workbooks, and a grant proposal kit.
Get a housing assessment (VI-SPDAT)
Before you can be matched to most housing programs (rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, vouchers), you must be assessed through your area's coordinated entry system. The assessment scores vulnerability and severity of need, then places you on a prioritization list. It does not guarantee housing — it is how the limited housing slots get matched to the people who need them most. Each program below serves only its own county or city — go to the one where you live.
AssessmentWashington, DC
DC — Coordinated Assessment & Housing Placement (CAHP)
Run by The Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, 14 Kennedy St NW. Single adults: DC Shelter Hotline (202) 399-7093, daily 8 AM–midnight; call 311 after hours. Families: Virginia Williams Family Resource Center, 920 Rhode Island Ave NE, (202) 526-0017, Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–4 PM, Fri 8:30 AM–12 PM.
Coordinated entry office(202) 543-5298Mon–Fri 9 AM–5 PM
AssessmentMontgomery County, MD
Montgomery County — Coordinated Entry
Assessment office: 1301 Piccard Drive, Rockville — call (240) 777-4550 during business hours. After hours / urgent: County Crisis Center at the same address, (240) 777-4000, 24/7 walk-in and phone. Adults seeking shelter: (240) 907-2688, 24-hour line. Bring photo ID and proof of county residency if you have them.
AssessmentPrince George's County, MD
Prince George's County — Coordinated Entry Hotline
Call the county's 24/7 homeless hotline: 1-888-731-0999. Trained staff screen and assess callers, enter the household into the system, and place eligible households on the county's prioritization (By-Name) list. Drop-in centers and street outreach teams also assess under a "no wrong door" model — call the hotline for current locations.
24/7 hotline1-888-731-0999
AssessmentNorthern Virginia
Northern Virginia — Coordinated Entry by county
Fairfax County: Coordinated Services Planning (703) 222-0880.
Alexandria: Homeless Services Assessment Center, 4850 Mark Center Dr, (703) 746-5700.
Arlington: Community Assistance Bureau (703) 228-1300 weekdays 8 AM–5 PM; after hours (703) 228-1010.
Loudoun: (703) 777-0420, Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–5 PM; 19520 Meadowview Court, Leesburg.
Prince William: (703) 792-3366, Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–5:30 PM.
What to bring: photo ID, proof of residency, and any income or benefits paperwork if you have them — not having documents usually does not stop the screening. Need a bed tonight? Emergency shelter is a separate, faster track: call the shelter numbers above instead of waiting on the assessment. Keep your contact info current with the hotline or assessment office so a housing match can actually reach you.