Jonah JacobsWhat Is a Homeless Motel Voucher?
A motel voucher for the homeless gives someone the chance to enjoy privacy, safety, and sanitary conditions a shelter usually cannot provide. With a homeless voucher, you can sleep in a hotel or motel without having to pay for it. The agency often picks the lodging.
In cases where homeless housing resources are very limited, a voucher may be used to offer lodging at a local shelter or in public housing. This may be more common in large cities with a massive homeless population.
Who Provides Hotel Vouchers to the Homeless?
Nonprofits and other agencies offer this service. They usually do so by holding fundraisers.
Are Homeless Hotel Vouchers Easy to Get?
Unfortunately, high demand and limited supply make hotel vouchers challenging to come by. This comes as no surprise when you consider the ever-growing homeless population and the costs involved with paying for separate hotel or motel rooms using primarily donations.
How Long Do Motel Vouchers Last?
The typical length of a hotel/motel stay with a voucher is three nights. That obviously isn’t a lot of time, which is why you should view a hotel voucher as a temporary solution to your homelessness. And while getting to sleep in your own hotel or motel room is ideal, the temporary nature of these vouchers suggests that you should prioritize more long-term housing solutions.
How Can You Get a Hotel Voucher if You’re Homeless?
While getting a hotel voucher can be tricky due to limited availability, it’s not impossible. You will probably have to do a bit of legwork, though, and contact several resources to have luck.
You can begin by contacting your local Salvation Army and Catholic Charities. You can also speak to a local operator well-versed in helping the homeless by dialing 211 on your phone.
Other common resources the homeless use to find hotel vouchers include local shelters or assistance programs, which you can find by clicking here.
Are Hotel Vouchers Open to Anyone Who’s Homeless?
Due to their limited availability, homeless vouchers are sometimes reserved for special situations, such as victims of disaster or domestic violence. You may also move to the front of the hotel voucher list in some cases if you are a single parent, single male, senior, or disabled.
What Do You Do After You Get Your Homeless Hotel Voucher?
Besides using the hotel or motel room to collect your thoughts and get some much-needed rest, you may have to follow some rules from the agency that gave you the voucher. The agency may require you to check in. You may have to attend a counseling session to see how you can end your homeless situation. You may also have to show that you’re making an effort to find work if you’re not currently employed.
