Housing help
Housing programs: transitional, permanent, and supportive
Programs that get you out of shelter and into a home — rapid rehousing, Housing First, supportive housing.
The path from shelter to stable housing usually runs through one of these programs. Rapid rehousing provides a short rental subsidy plus help finding an apartment — best for transitional homelessness. Permanent supportive housing (PSH) pairs a permanent unit with case-management services for chronic cases. Transitional housing is a structured short-term stay (3-24 months) with services attached. All require an intake or coordinated-entry assessment to enter.
Find housing help near you
234 matching resources across the US and Canada.
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Top cities
- New York, NY · 12
- Los Angeles, CA · 11
- San Francisco, CA · 9
- Toronto, ON · 9
- Chicago, IL · 5
- Vancouver, BC · 5
- Washington, DC · 5
- Seattle, WA · 4
- Atlanta, GA · 3
- Boston, MA · 3
- Detroit, MI · 3
- Montreal, QC · 3
- Oakland, CA · 3
- Ottawa, ON · 3
- Philadelphia, PA · 3
- Saint Louis, MO · 3
- Anchorage, AK · 2
- Austin, TX · 2
- Baltimore, MD · 2
- Calgary, AB · 2
What to know
- • Coordinated entry is the single most important meeting in your first weeks of homelessness. It's the only way most cities prioritize people for housing programs. Find your local intake via 211.
- • Rapid rehousing is the fastest path back to a normal lease — usually 3–12 months of subsidy plus help finding a landlord. Best fit if you have any income.
- • Housing First means you get the apartment first, without sobriety or treatment preconditions. If a program is telling you to complete rehab before getting housed, it's not Housing First — ask for alternatives.
- • Permanent supportive housing has the longest wait lists but is the most stable end state. It's the gold standard for chronic homelessness.
- • If you're a veteran, ask specifically about HUD-VASH. It's typically much faster than civilian voucher programs.