12 Things You Should Know About Homeless Hotel Vouchers

You may be surprised that something like a hotel or motel voucher exists, especially if you’re homeless and feel that your only housing options are staying with friends and family or at a shelter. However, these vouchers do exist, and here are some things you should know about them before pursuing one.

1. Hotel vouchers are a short-term solution for homelessness. You can typically count on using a voucher to stay in a hotel or motel for about three nights maximum.

2. Motel vouchers are limited. Getting a hotel or motel room for free via a voucher is quite rare. For this reason, you should know that finding a hotel voucher may not be easy.

3. The primary purpose of a hotel voucher is to offer temporary housing for recently homeless people. Again, they are not long-term solutions.

4. Hotel vouchers are more common than motel vouchers. This is mainly because hotels are more expensive, and such assistance is costly enough as it is.

5. Places where you can look for hotel vouchers include Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army, the United Way, your local homeless shelter, or your local government.

6. Vouchers are sometimes given for use at a public housing unit or a local shelter. While not as ideal as a hotel or motel, these offers are still advantageous for someone looking to fix their housing situation after an eviction or disaster.

7. Some hotel voucher programs are seasonal and tend to pick up in the winter months when it’s freezing outside, and homeless shelters are at capacity. Large cities experiencing summer heat waves may also enact motel voucher programs so homeless people who are sick can stay out of extreme temperatures.

8. Motel voucher programs may focus on specific groups, depending on the location. For instance, some voucher programs may be limited to seniors. Others may focus on offering vouchers to single parents, those who are disabled, or even single men.

9. In some cases, your hotel voucher may also include transportation to your lodging.

10. Hotel and motel vouchers can be expensive to provide, which is why nonprofit agencies often hold fundraisers so they can offer them to the homeless.

11. Many motel vouchers come with rules and restrictions you’ll need to follow to keep that benefit. You may need to check in with the agency that gave you the voucher. A meeting with the agency may be necessary, so you can go over a plan to end your homelessness. You may also need to show proof that you are seeking employment or are working. Since hotel vouchers are very temporary, the goal of the agencies that provide them is to ensure you get out of the homeless cycle as quickly as possible.

12. Special situations where homeless hotel vouchers may be offered include to help those who suffered a disaster like a hurricane, flood, or fire. If you are fleeing an abusive environment or are a domestic violence victim, that may also give you access to a motel voucher.