If you have nowhere to stay tonight, there is help in Hartford. Emergency shelters serve single adults, women and children, and families, and homeless-services offices can connect you to a bed and to longer-term housing support.
Most year-round shelters in Hartford fill their beds through 2-1-1 and Connecticut's Coordinated Access Network, not by people calling or showing up at the door. 2-1-1 answers any time, but its housing team books shelter during the day, and a call often leads to an assessment or a waitlist rather than a bed that night. The resources below are the shelters and housing-help options in our Hartford directory.
Who can get help
Emergency shelter is for anyone who has nowhere safe to stay. Different shelters serve different groups (single men, single women, women with children, families), so the listing or 211 can point you to the right one. You do not need ID or money to call, though some shelters ask for ID at intake.
Shelters and housing help in Hartford
Connecticut Fair Housing Center
Free legal services for housing discrimination cases. Sends testers to collect evidence of discrimination, helps file complaints with state and federal agencies. Handles cases involving race, disability, family status, source of income, and other protected classes.
CRT McKinney Shelter
Community Renewal Team
Overnight emergency shelter for men 18 and older at 207 Brainard Road, run by Community Renewal Team. Provides case management, counseling, and referrals; stays are up to 90 days.
Habitat for Humanity of North Central Connecticut
Habitat for Humanity of North Central CT
Builds and repairs homes for low-income families in Greater Hartford. Offers new construction, rehab projects, existing homeowner repair programs, and financial literacy education. Also operates ReStore thrift stores.
Hands On Hartford - Supportive Housing
Hands On Hartford
Safe, affordable housing and supportive services for individuals with complex health issues. Also provides homeless outreach team connecting individuals living outdoors with resources to secure stable housing.
Housing Authority of the City of Hartford
HACH
Public housing and Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers for very low-income families, elderly, and disabled individuals. Manages multiple properties including Betty Knox Apartments, Charter Oak Terrace, Smith Tower, and others.
Housing Education Resource Center
HUD-approved housing counseling agency offering pre-purchase workshops, budget counseling, rental assistance, and homeless services assistance. Services available in English and Spanish.
ImmaCare - Emergency Shelter for Men
ImmaCare Inc. (formerly Immaculate Conception Shelter)
24-hour emergency shelter for men who are most vulnerable to life on the streets, including those with debilitating health issues, severe substance abuse addictions, and mental health issues. Provides safe beds, meals, clothing, showers, laundry, and comprehensive case management. Operating since 1981.
InterCommunity - Recovery House (Residential)
InterCommunity Inc.
Recovery house program providing safe, substance-free housing with 30 hours/week of group and individual therapy, psychiatric and nursing support, and peer support. Also operates a 12-bed Intermediate Enhanced long-term residential program for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Interval House - Domestic Violence Shelter
Interval House
Largest domestic violence agency in Connecticut, serving survivors since 1977. Provides up to 6 weeks of emergency housing for battered women and children, counseling, safety planning, court advocacy, and support groups.
My Sisters' Place - Women's Housing Services
My Sisters' Place
Nonprofit committed to ending homelessness by empowering women, families, and others in Greater Hartford. Provides transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, and wraparound services to help residents achieve independence and stability.
Open Hearth Association - Emergency Shelter
Open Hearth Association
Oldest continuously operating shelter on the East Coast, founded in 1884. Provides 25 emergency beds for men, plus an 84-bed transitional living program with addiction recovery support, life skills training, and career planning.
Oxford House Sherwood - Men's Sober Living
Oxford House of Connecticut
Self-run, self-supported recovery house for men recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction. Democratically operated by residents with no time limit on stay. Part of the national Oxford House network with over 4,000 locations.
Rebuilding Together Hartford - Free Home Repair
Rebuilding Together Hartford
Provides free home repairs to low-income homeowners in Hartford including emergency repairs for heat, hot water, plumbing, electrical, and equipment to aid in daily living. Helps people live in warmth, safety, and independence.
Salvation Army - Adult Rehabilitation Center
The Salvation Army
Free 180-day residential rehabilitation program for adults struggling with addiction. Combines group and individual therapy, life skills training, recreational activities, work therapy, and spiritual support. Provides housing, meals, and clothing during the program.
Salvation Army - Marshall House Family Shelter
The Salvation Army
Emergency shelter for single women and families with 27 beds, plus 2-year transitional housing program for homeless heads of household with minor children.
How to get started
Call 2-1-1 first
Say you need emergency shelter. Call during the day if you can, when the housing team books beds. The questions they ask are the assessment that puts you on the list for a bed.
Use a different door if one fits
Fleeing abuse: call or text CT Safe Connect at 1-888-774-2900, any time. Under 18: call the National Runaway Safeline at 1-800-786-2929. Veterans: call 1-877-424-3838. In winter, warming centers take adults without a 2-1-1 call.
Get connected to housing help
Homeless-services offices can start you on rental assistance and housing programs while you are in shelter, so ask about next steps.
Common questions
Where can I sleep tonight in Hartford?
Call 2-1-1 and ask for emergency shelter. Most shelters here take only people referred through 2-1-1, so calling or visiting a shelter directly usually does not get you a bed. If 2-1-1 cannot place you tonight, ask about warming centers (in winter) and street outreach.
Do I need ID to get into a shelter?
You do not need ID to call and ask for help. Some shelters request ID at intake, but a missing document should not stop you from reaching out. Ask what they accept.
I am in immediate danger. What should I do?
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are fleeing abuse, call or text CT Safe Connect at 1-888-774-2900 any time; it reaches confidential domestic violence shelters directly. For a mental-health crisis, call or text 988.
Not sure where to start, or do not see what you need?