For journalists & researchers
Press & media kit
Resources for reporters, editors, broadcasters, and researchers covering homelessness in the United States and Canada. Everything on this page is free to use with attribution.
424+
Resources mapped
239
Cities
64
States/provinces
18
Articles
About HomelessHelp.net
HomelessHelp.net is a free, independent directory of homeless shelters and crisis services across the United States and Canada, plus plain-language guides on the causes of homelessness and what reduces it. We are not affiliated with any government agency, shelter, or charity, and we do not accept donations.
The site launched in 2026 and currently lists 424+ resources across 239 cities. The content is open-source on GitHub and the shelter dataset is published under CC-BY-4.0 at /data.
Datasets and citable statistics
For data journalism and stories that need a hook:
- Full shelter dataset →
CSV + JSON, CC-BY-4.0. 424+ resources, 239+ cities.
- Statistics index →
National, by-population, housing-cost, and outcome figures with primary-source links.
- By-state overview →
2023 PIT counts for all 50 US states and DC, plus Canadian-province context.
- Historical timeline →
Modern history of US/Canada homelessness, 1955-present, with citable events.
- Glossary of terms →
26 plain-English definitions (AHAR, CoC, Housing First, McKinney-Vento, etc.).
- Research hub →
Academic reading lists, primary-source index, and citation guidance.
Subject-matter context we can speak to
We can provide background on (and source quotes for) the following without putting a reporter on hold for weeks. For specific case quotes, defer to the listed primary sources or contact the organizations directly.
Housing First evidence
Tsemberis, Goering, multiple meta-analyses; what works at scale vs at pilot stage.
Veteran homelessness 2009-2023 reduction
The HUD-VASH story, how it scaled, why it slowed in 2023.
Encampment policy
Sweep evidence, Grants Pass v. Johnson context, what 'works' (and what doesn't).
Senior homelessness (50+)
Fastest-growing subpopulation; cohort vs structural drivers.
Youth & LGBTQ+ youth homelessness
Voices of Youth Count findings; family rejection dynamics.
Indigenous overrepresentation
Historical context; programs that work (Siloam, Na-Me-Res, NAC Phoenix).
The 2023 12% YoY surge
What's driving the largest single-year increase since AHAR began.
Housing supply economics
Why the structural driver of homelessness is rent-vs-wage, not addiction.
Brand assets
For use in articles, social posts, or B-roll referencing our site. All free to use with attribution.
Embeddable map
We provide an iframe-friendly version of the map for partner organizations and news outlets that want to embed the directory on their own pages. See /embed.
Contact
For interviews, data clarifications, or other media inquiries: open an issue at github.com/LukasJT/homelesshelp/issues. We reply faster to questions tied to a specific deadline.
Style guidance
We follow current AP and major-paper style on homelessness coverage:
- Use "people experiencing homelessness" or "unhoused people" rather than "the homeless."
- Distinguish "unsheltered" (street, car, etc.) from "sheltered" (in a program).
- Distinguish "chronic homelessness" (HUD technical term) from "long-term homelessness."
- Distinguish "single-night point-in-time count" from "annual prevalence." Conflating these is the most common error in news coverage.
- If covering an encampment, contact the local outreach team before publishing identifying details — and consider whether identifying the encampment serves your story.
How to cite this page
For school papers and academic work. Click any citation to copy.
Citing primary sources is generally preferred to citing us. Where this article references specific studies (e.g. At Home/Chez Soi, HUD AHAR, point-in-time counts), use those sources directly in your bibliography when possible. Our Research hub links to the primary documents.