Find Shelter in Chicago

If you are currently or soon will be experiencing homelessness, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Try these steps to find shelter as recommended by The Department of Family and Support Services:

• If you or someone you know are in need of shelter and have nowhere to sleep tonight, call 311 and request shelter. If you are able to self-transport, chose an appropriate option below:
• For Single Adults in need of shelter: If you are a single adult seeking shelter, there is the new 24/7 intake location called “Shelter Placement and Resource Center (SPARC)”. It is located at 2241 S Halsted, Chicago, IL 60608. The SPARC will be a central place where single adults are able to be assessed for diversion and shelter placement and receive interim basic services, such as food and overflow shelter, while awaiting services. Space will be available for up to 200 people waiting for shelter placement. Download infosheet
• For Families in need of shelter: Please go to the Salvation Army Shield of Hope Center located at 924 N. Christiana, Chicago, IL 60651. If you are unable to make it to that location, call 311 following the below advice, and request shelter. Once you have the SR number, call Shield of Hope Intake at 872-281-7610. Walk-ins for families is permitted at Shield of Hope.
• The 311 Operator will give you a Service Request Number(SR), and then put your request in queue for shelter placement. They will locate the next available bed and arrange transportation for you to go to shelter
• They will ask for your cell phone number to stay in contact with you while you wait. If you don’t have a cell phone, go to the nearest Hospital, Fire Station or Police Station and inform them that you are experiencing homelessness and need to find shelter.
• For Domestic Violence Assistance, call the DV Hotline at 877-863-6338.
• If in need for shelter for 18-24 year olds two options are; “The Crib” at 1735 N Ashland Ave, go after 5pm, or call 773-549-4158, or “Ujima Center” at 7320 S. Yale Ave or call 312-778-5732.

Other tips:

• If you are looking for assistance other than shelter, go to 211MetroChicago.org and you can search for a wide range of assistance.
• Be prepared to walk or take public transportation to the shelter that has available space.

Just because a shelter is near to you it may not have space at this time (shelters have a limited number of available beds). You may be sent to a different part of the city, so be prepared to travel.

• Start the process as early as you can.

Spaces fill up throughout the day and finding something near you may depend on when you arrive at a hospital, fire station or police station.

• Be persistent.

If you have waited for an hour to find out where you have been placed, calmly and respectfully remind hospital, fire fighter or police staff that you still need shelter and are waiting.

In times of extreme hot and cold temperatures, emergency overnight shelters and day cooling/warming centers are set up throughout the city. CCO is one of these designated sites.

Call 311 to find the nearest emergency overnight shelter or day warming/cooling center near you.