If you’re homeless or about to lose your housing in Massachusetts tonight, hotel vouchers are available — and you may qualify right now. Massachusetts has one of the strongest legal right-to-shelter frameworks in the United States, along with a comprehensive network of government agencies, nonprofits, and emergency programs that can place you in a safe motel or hotel room while you work toward stable housing.
This guide covers every Massachusetts-specific program, how to apply, who qualifies, and what to do if you need help immediately.
Hotel Vouchers for Homeless in Massachusetts — Quick Answer
Yes, hotel vouchers for homeless individuals are available in Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), local Community Action Agencies, the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and other nonprofits. The fastest way to access one is to dial 211, which connects you to local emergency housing resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Who Provides Hotel Vouchers in Massachusetts?
Several organizations in Massachusetts can provide emergency hotel or motel vouchers:
Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) — Massachusetts’s primary housing agency manages the state’s emergency shelter system, including the Emergency Assistance (EA) family shelter program and the individual shelter system. DHCD directly funds and coordinates hotel and motel placements statewide. Visit mass.gov/dhcd.
Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) — EOHHS oversees the state’s social services programs including TANF (Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children — TAFDC) and can provide emergency housing assistance for qualifying families. Visit mass.gov/eohhs.
Massachusetts 211 — Dialing 211 connects you with a trained operator who can identify the nearest hotel voucher program with available funds in your specific city or town.
Community Action Agencies (CAAs) — Massachusetts has Community Action Agencies serving regions across the state. These federally funded organizations are among the most reliable providers of emergency hotel and motel vouchers.
Salvation Army Massachusetts — The Salvation Army operates locations in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Fall River, and other cities and regularly provides emergency motel vouchers for individuals and families in crisis.
Catholic Charities Massachusetts — Provides emergency housing assistance regardless of religion or background, with offices in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and other communities statewide.
American Red Cross Massachusetts — If your housing crisis results from a nor’easter, flood, or other disaster, the Red Cross can arrange immediate hotel accommodations at no cost.
Local churches and faith-based organizations — Many Massachusetts churches and synagogues maintain emergency funds specifically for hotel and motel vouchers, particularly in smaller communities across the state.
Who Qualifies for Emergency Hotel Vouchers in Massachusetts?
Eligibility varies by program, but Massachusetts has some of the strongest shelter entitlements in the nation. Most programs give priority to:
- Families with children — Massachusetts has a legal right to shelter for families with children who meet eligibility requirements under the Emergency Assistance (EA) program
- Individuals and families who are currently homeless (sleeping outside, in a vehicle, or in an unsafe location)
- People facing imminent eviction within 24–72 hours
- Elderly individuals (60 and older)
- People with disabilities or serious health conditions
- Domestic violence survivors — most Massachusetts programs fast-track DV cases
- Veterans experiencing homelessness
- Disaster survivors displaced by nor’easters, flooding, or severe storms
- Pregnant women — Massachusetts’s EA program includes pregnant women in its eligible family definition
- Immigrants and asylum seekers — Massachusetts has significant programs supporting immigrant communities
Massachusetts’s right-to-shelter law for families is a critical distinction. Eligible families with children cannot be turned away from the state’s emergency shelter system, which includes hotel and motel placements when shelter beds are unavailable. This makes Massachusetts unique among most U.S. states.
How to Get a Hotel Voucher in Massachusetts (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Call 211
Dial 2-1-1 from any phone — it’s free. Tell the operator: “I need emergency shelter or a hotel voucher tonight in Massachusetts.” Operators are available 24/7 and can connect you with the nearest program that has funding available in your area.
Step 2: Apply for Emergency Assistance (EA) — Families with Children
If you are a family with children (or pregnant), Massachusetts’s Emergency Assistance (EA) program is your primary right. EA provides emergency shelter — including hotel and motel placements — to eligible families. Apply at your nearest DHCD-designated EA application site.
EA Intake Line: 617-573-1100 Apply: mass.gov/emergency-assistance-family-shelter-and-services
EA application sites include regional nonprofits across the state. Dial 211 for the nearest EA application site to you.
Step 3: Apply for Individual Shelter Through DHCD
For individuals without children, Massachusetts DHCD funds an individual adult shelter system. When shelter beds are unavailable, hotel and motel placements may be made. Contact your local shelter or dial 211 to access the individual shelter system.
Contact: mass.gov/dhcd | 617-573-1100
Step 4: Contact Your Local Community Action Agency
Massachusetts’s Community Action Agencies serve regions across the state and often have emergency motel voucher funds available same-day. Key agencies include:
- Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) — Boston / Greater Boston
- Community Action! of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions — western Massachusetts
- Community Action Pioneer Valley — Springfield / Pioneer Valley
- Merrimack Valley Community Action — Lowell / Merrimack Valley
- South Shore Community Action Council — South Shore
- SER-Jobs for Progress — Lawrence and Lowell areas
- NeighborWorks Housing Solutions — southeastern Massachusetts
Call 211 for the Community Action Agency serving your specific area.
Step 5: Contact the Salvation Army
The Salvation Army has locations throughout Massachusetts and can often provide same-day emergency motel vouchers. Call your nearest branch:
- Boston: 617-542-5420
- Worcester: 508-756-2691
- Springfield: 413-733-1518
- Lowell: 978-454-8931
- Fall River: 508-679-5558
- New Bedford: 508-997-6561
- Brockton: 508-586-9498
Step 6: Contact Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities has offices throughout Massachusetts and provides emergency housing assistance to anyone regardless of faith.
- Boston (Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston): 617-542-3428
- Worcester (Catholic Charities Diocese of Worcester): 508-798-0191
- Springfield (Catholic Charities Diocese of Springfield): 413-732-3175
- Fall River (Catholic Charities Diocese of Fall River): 508-674-4681
Massachusetts Government Programs for Emergency Housing
Emergency Assistance (EA) — Right to Shelter for Families
Massachusetts’s EA program is the most important emergency housing program in the state for families. Under Massachusetts law, eligible families with children who are homeless cannot be turned away from the emergency shelter system. When family shelter sites are full, families are placed in hotels and motels funded by the state at no cost to the family.
Eligibility: Families with children under 21, pregnant women, and certain other family configurations who meet income and residency requirements and are homeless due to qualifying reasons (eviction, domestic violence, fire, natural disaster, etc.)
EA Intake: 617-573-1100 | mass.gov/emergency-assistance-family-shelter-and-services
Massachusetts DHCD — Individual Shelter System
DHCD also funds an individual adult shelter system for single adults experiencing homelessness. When shelter beds are unavailable, motel placements may be made. Contact your local shelter or dial 211.
Contact: mass.gov/dhcd | 617-573-1100
Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC)
TAFDC is Massachusetts’s TANF program and can provide emergency housing assistance for eligible families with children. Contact your local Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) office to apply.
Contact: dtaconnect.eohhs.mass.gov | 877-382-2363
Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA)
DTA administers TAFDC, SNAP (called SNAP/Food Stamps in Massachusetts), and other emergency assistance programs. DTA offices are located in communities across the state.
Contact: mass.gov/dta | 877-382-2363
Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) — Massachusetts
Massachusetts receives substantial federal ESG funding from HUD, distributed through DHCD to local homeless service providers. ESG funds can cover emergency shelter including hotel stays when traditional shelter beds are unavailable.
Contact: DHCD at mass.gov/dhcd
HUD Continuum of Care — Massachusetts CoC Programs
Massachusetts has several HUD-funded CoC programs managing regional homeless services. Key CoCs include:
- Boston CoC (Boston’s Way Home)
- Worcester CoC
- Springfield/Hampden County CoC
- Lowell CoC
- Cambridge CoC
- Quincy/Brockton/Weymouth/Plymouth CoC
- Balance of State Massachusetts CoC
Find your local CoC: hudexchange.info | boston.gov/homelessness (Boston)
FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA)
If you’ve been displaced by a presidentially declared disaster in Massachusetts — such as a major nor’easter or flood — FEMA’s TSA program can place you in a participating hotel or motel at no cost.
Apply: disasterassistance.gov | 1-800-621-3362
Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) — Massachusetts
Homeless Massachusetts veterans have dedicated resources through the VA. VA social workers can often arrange emergency hotel stays while longer-term housing is arranged.
Massachusetts VA Locations:
- VA Boston Healthcare System (Jamaica Plain): 617-232-9500
- Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial VA (Bedford): 781-275-7500
- Central Western Massachusetts VA (Leeds): 413-584-4040
- Brockton VA Medical Center: 774-826-3000
- Northampton VA Medical Center: 413-584-4040
National Veterans Homeless Hotline: 1-877-424-3838 (24/7)
Nonprofit Organizations Offering Hotel Vouchers in Massachusetts
Pine Street Inn — Boston
Pine Street Inn is one of New England’s largest homeless service organizations and Boston’s primary homeless shelter provider. They offer emergency shelter, transitional housing, and housing assistance for homeless individuals in Boston.
Contact: 617-522-8552 | pinestreetinn.org
Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD)
ABCD is Boston’s Community Action Agency, providing emergency assistance including hotel voucher connections and EA program support for low-income individuals and families in Boston and surrounding communities.
Contact: 617-357-6000 | bostonabcd.org
Salvation Army Massachusetts
With locations in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Fall River, New Bedford, and Brockton, the Salvation Army is one of Massachusetts’s most consistent providers of emergency motel vouchers.
Website: salvationarmy.org
Catholic Charities Massachusetts
Multiple dioceses across Massachusetts provide emergency housing assistance and hotel voucher referrals regardless of faith background.
Heading Home — Boston
Heading Home provides rapid re-housing, transitional housing, and emergency housing assistance for homeless families and individuals in the Greater Boston area.
Contact: 617-864-8140 | headinghome.org
HomeStart — Boston
HomeStart provides emergency housing stabilization services, rapid re-housing, and hotel voucher connections for homeless individuals in the Boston area.
Contact: 617-542-0338 | homestart.org
Community Teamwork — Lowell
Community Teamwork is the Community Action Agency serving Lowell and the Merrimack Valley. They provide emergency assistance including hotel voucher connections for individuals and families in the region.
Contact: 978-459-0551 | communityteamwork.org
Community Action Pioneer Valley — Springfield
Community Action Pioneer Valley serves Springfield, Holyoke, and the Pioneer Valley region with emergency assistance including hotel voucher connections.
Contact: 413-737-2101 | communityaction.us
Arise for Social Justice — Springfield
Arise for Social Justice advocates for and connects homeless individuals in Springfield with emergency housing resources including hotel voucher programs.
Contact: 413-734-4948 | ariseforsocialjustice.org
Father Bill’s & MainSpring — Brockton/Quincy
Father Bill’s & MainSpring provides emergency shelter and housing assistance across southeastern Massachusetts including Brockton and Quincy, with connections to hotel voucher programs.
Contact: 508-895-0087 | helpfbms.org
American Red Cross — Massachusetts
The Red Cross assists people displaced by Massachusetts’s nor’easters, floods, and severe storms. If your homelessness stems from a disaster, the Red Cross can arrange immediate hotel accommodations.
Contact: 1-800-733-2767 | redcross.org
Emergency Housing Help by City and Region in Massachusetts
Boston / Greater Boston
Boston has Massachusetts’s largest concentration of homeless services. Key resources include:
- Boston 211: Dial 211
- Pine Street Inn: 617-522-8552
- ABCD: 617-357-6000
- Heading Home: 617-864-8140
- HomeStart: 617-542-0338
- Salvation Army Boston: 617-542-5420
- Catholic Charities Boston: 617-542-3428
- EA Intake Line: 617-573-1100
- DTA Boston: 617-348-8400
Worcester / Central Massachusetts
- Worcester 211: Dial 211
- Salvation Army Worcester: 508-756-2691
- Catholic Charities Worcester: 508-798-0191
- YOU Inc. (youth/family): 508-849-5600
- Emergency Shelter of Greater Worcester: 508-791-1213
- DTA Worcester: 508-767-3500
Springfield / Pioneer Valley (Western Massachusetts)
- Springfield 211: Dial 211
- Community Action Pioneer Valley: 413-737-2101
- Arise for Social Justice: 413-734-4948
- Salvation Army Springfield: 413-733-1518
- Catholic Charities Springfield: 413-732-3175
- Friends of the Homeless Springfield: 413-732-3069
- DTA Springfield: 413-452-3100
Lowell / Merrimack Valley
- Lowell 211: Dial 211
- Community Teamwork Inc.: 978-459-0551
- Salvation Army Lowell: 978-454-8931
- Lowell Transitional Living Center: 978-453-7652
- DTA Lowell: 978-934-1200
Brockton / Southeastern Massachusetts
- Brockton 211: Dial 211
- Father Bill’s & MainSpring: 508-895-0087
- Salvation Army Brockton: 508-586-9498
- South Shore Community Action: 781-834-3533
- DTA Brockton: 508-894-3600
Fall River / New Bedford / South Coast
- Fall River 211: Dial 211
- Salvation Army Fall River: 508-679-5558
- Catholic Charities Fall River: 508-674-4681
- Salvation Army New Bedford: 508-997-6561
- New Bedford Community Action: 508-979-6341
- DTA Fall River: 508-235-0400
Cape Cod / Islands
- Cape Cod 211: Dial 211
- Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC): 508-771-5400
- Independence House (DV/emergency): 508-771-6507
- Barnstable County DTA: 508-760-6200
Cambridge / Somerville / Inner Suburbs
- Cambridge 211: Dial 211
- Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee (CEOC): 617-868-2900
- Somerville Homeless Coalition: 617-628-1032
- DTA Cambridge: 617-349-6200
What to Do After Your Hotel Voucher Runs Out
A hotel voucher is a bridge — not a permanent solution. While you have temporary shelter, take these steps toward stable housing:
Connect with a case manager. Ask the organization that gave you the voucher to assign you a case manager. Case managers in Massachusetts can help you navigate the state’s extensive housing programs and benefits.
Know your EA rights if you have children. If you are a family with children and remain homeless, you have an ongoing right to apply for EA family shelter. Contact the EA Intake Line at 617-573-1100 or dial 211 to continue accessing the EA system.
Apply for Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) in Massachusetts. RRH programs provide short-term rental assistance and support to help you move from homelessness into housing quickly. Contact your local CoC or dial 211 to find RRH programs available in your area.
Get on the Section 8 waitlist. The Housing Choice Voucher program provides long-term rental assistance. Contact DHCD at mass.gov/dhcd or your local housing authority to apply. Massachusetts waitlists can be very long — apply as early as possible and check multiple local housing authorities.
Apply for Massachusetts Rental Assistance (RAFT). RAFT (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition) is Massachusetts’s state-funded emergency rental assistance program. Contact DHCD at mass.gov/raft or your local Community Action Agency to apply.
Look into transitional housing. Organizations like Pine Street Inn, Heading Home, Father Bill’s & MainSpring, and Community Action Pioneer Valley offer transitional housing programs with support services.
Apply for benefits you may qualify for. If you haven’t already, apply for SNAP, Massachusetts Medicaid (MassHealth), and TAFDC at your local DTA office or at dtaconnect.eohhs.mass.gov or benefits.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a hotel voucher in Massachusetts tonight?
Call 211 right now. Operators are available 24/7. If you are a family with children, also call the EA Intake Line at 617-573-1100 — Massachusetts law gives eligible families a right to shelter, including hotel placement when shelter beds are full. For individuals, dial 211 to access the individual shelter system.
What is Massachusetts’s right-to-shelter law?
Massachusetts has a legal right to shelter for eligible families with children and pregnant women. Under the Emergency Assistance (EA) program, qualifying families who are homeless cannot be turned away from the state shelter system. When shelter sites are full, families are placed in hotels or motels funded by the state. This is one of the strongest shelter entitlement laws in the United States.
What is the RAFT program in Massachusetts?
RAFT (Residential Assistance for Families in Transition) is Massachusetts’s state-funded emergency rental assistance program. It provides up to $10,000 in assistance for eligible households facing homelessness or housing instability. Contact your local Community Action Agency or DHCD at mass.gov/raft to apply.
Are hotel vouchers available outside of Boston in Massachusetts?
Yes. Massachusetts has strong homeless service networks in Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Brockton, Fall River, New Bedford, and Cape Cod, as well as rural western Massachusetts. Dial 211 for resources in your specific area.
Can I get a hotel voucher without an ID in Massachusetts?
Many programs will still help you without a photo ID, though having one speeds up the process. Massachusetts has programs to help homeless individuals obtain state ID — ask your case manager or DTA office for assistance.
Are there hotel vouchers for homeless veterans in Massachusetts?
Yes. Contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-424-3838 (24/7) or your nearest Massachusetts VA facility. VA social workers can often arrange emergency hotel stays same-day for veterans in crisis.
Are there hotel vouchers for domestic violence survivors in Massachusetts?
Yes. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (24/7) or the Massachusetts Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-877-785-2020 (SafeLink, 24/7, available in multiple languages) for immediate safe housing assistance.
Does Massachusetts have emergency housing for immigrants and asylum seekers?
Yes. Massachusetts has significant programs supporting immigrant and asylum seeker populations, particularly in Boston, Lowell, Lawrence, and Springfield. ABCD, Catholic Charities, and SER-Jobs for Progress all provide services to immigrant communities. Contact 211 or Catholic Charities for immigration-sensitive emergency housing assistance.
What if there are no hotel vouchers available in my area?
If vouchers are unavailable, ask about shelter beds. For families, keep calling the EA Intake Line at 617-573-1100 — you have a legal right to shelter in Massachusetts. You can also contact the National Homeless Hotline at 1-877-466-4782 for additional options.
Final Thoughts
If you need a hotel voucher in Massachusetts tonight, your first call should be to 211. If you are a family with children, also call the EA Intake Line at 617-573-1100 — Massachusetts’s right-to-shelter law means eligible families cannot be turned away.
Massachusetts has more legal protections and emergency housing resources than almost any other state. Don’t wait to reach out — that’s exactly what these programs are here for.
Last Updated: 2026 | Sources: Massachusetts DHCD, EOHHS, DTA, HUD, FEMA, Salvation Army Massachusetts
Program availability and funding levels vary by region and change frequently. Always verify current availability directly with the providing organization.