Need something else?

The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) homeless shelter system provides temporary, emergency shelter.

If you are a homeless family, a single pregnant woman, or a single adult, you can apply to enter the shelter system at an intake center. DHS does not provide transportation services to the shelter.

You can also get assistance if you are about to become homeless. If you would like to speak to a counselor, 311 can give you the address of your local HomeBase office.

You have the right to access shelter services regardless of immigration status.

Specific Shelter Locations

Applying for shelter at an intake center is the first step in the process.

311 can provide you with intake center locations but does not provide the addresses of individual shelters.

Reasonable Accommodation Requests

Reasonable accommodations can be requested during the intake process. People with disabilities are encouraged to bring medical documentation to request reasonable accommodations. After going through intake, people with disabilities will be transferred to a shelter facility that most suits their needs.

Learn more about reasonable accommodations and download a request form.

If you are in need of immediate housing assistance and have nowhere to stay tonight, you should seek emergency shelter assistance.

You must go to the Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing (PATH) Office to apply for shelter if you are: 

  • A homeless family with children under 21 years of age 
  • A homeless single pregnant women
  • A homeless family that includes a pregnant woman

Applying for shelter at PATH is the first step in the process. 311 does not provide the locations of individual shelters.

What to Bring

All family members must be present when applying at the intake center. You must bring identification. Except for single pregnant women, you must also bring documents proving that your household meets the definition of a family.

Examples of identification include: 

  • Driver's license
  • Passport or visa
  • Welfare card
  • Green card
  • Picture employment card
  • Birth certificate
  • Social security card
  • Medicaid card
  • IDNYC
  • Pay stub

Examples of documents showing the definition of a family is met include: 

  • Child's birth certificate that lists the adult as the parent
  • Proof of legal custody
  • Documents filed in court or with the Department of Health for paternity
  • Marriage certificate or domestic partnership certificate

Learn more about how families with children or pregnant women can apply for shelter.

You can also call the PATH Office for more information. 

What Not To Bring

Don't bring any:

  • Contraband, alcohol, or illegal substances
  • Expensive personal belongings
  • Friends, visitors, or anyone who is not a member of your family
  • Food
  • Pets (service animals are permitted)

Smoking is not allowed.

PATH Intake Facility Location

The PATH Office is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, including holidays. 

The intake facility meets all building requirements as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Interpreter assistance will be made available if you do not speak English or if you are deaf or hard of hearing.

  • Agency: Department of Homeless Services
  • Division: Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing Office (PATH) Main Office
  • Address: 151 East 151 Street, Bronx, NY, 10451
  • Phone Number: (718) 503-6400
  • Business Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week

Found Not Eligible at PATH Office

If you are a homeless family or pregnant woman who has gone to the PATH office and been told that you do not meet the eligibility requirements for shelter, you should call PATH for further assistance.

  • Agency: Department of Homeless Services
  • Division: Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing Office (PATH) Intake
  • Address: 151 East 151 Street, Bronx, NY, 10451
  • Phone Number: (844) 347-7284
  • Business Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week

You must go to the Adult Family Intake Center (AFIC) to apply for shelter if you are:

  • A homeless married couple
  • A homeless family with no children under the age of 21
  • An unmarried homeless couple who meets the DHS definition of a family unit

Children under the age of 21 cannot be accepted at this center.

Applying for shelter at AFIC is the first step in the process. 311 does not provide the locations of individual shelters.

Intake Facility Location

The AFIC is in Manhattan at:

400-430 East 30th Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
New York, NY 10016

The center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

The intake facility meets all building requirements as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Interpreter assistance will be made available if you do not speak English, or if you are deaf or hard of hearing.

What to Bring

To apply for shelter, you must bring identification and proof that your household constitutes an adult family.

Adult families must be:

  • A married couple with a valid marriage certificate, OR
  • Two adults legally registered as domestic partners who can demonstrate that they have lived together for the past 6 months, OR
  • Two or more adults who can demonstrate that they have lived together for the past 6 months and can demonstrate that a medical condition or other situation requires that they be sheltered together, OR
  • Two or more adults who can provide birth certificates to prove a parent/child or sibling family relationship.

Learn more about how adult families can apply for shelter.

    What Not To Bring

    Don't bring any:

    • Contraband, alcohol, or illegal substances
    • Expensive personal belongings
    • Friends, visitors, or anyone who is not a member of your family
    • Food
    • Pets (service animals are permitted.)

    Smoking is not allowed.

    If you are a homeless single man or woman, 18 or older, you must first go to an intake facility to apply for emergency shelter.

    Applying at an intake center is the first step in the process. 311 does not provide the locations of individual shelters.

    If you have been in a shelter within the past 12 months, you should go back to that shelter. Otherwise, you should go to an intake facility.

    What to Bring

    Bringing ID with you is strongly suggested, though not required.

    The following forms of ID are helpful during the intake process:

    • ID with a picture and proof of age. Examples include:
      • Driver's license
      • IDNYC card
      • State-issued ID
      • Passport
      • Visa
      • Welfare card
      • Green card
    • Social Security card
    • Medicaid card
    • Your most recent pay stub if you are working

    Learn more about how single adults can apply for shelter.

    What Not To Bring

    Don't bring any:

    • Contraband, alcohol, or illegal substances
    • Expensive personal belongings
    • Friends, visitors, or anyone who is not a member of your family
    • Food
    • Pets (service animals are permitted.)

    Smoking is not allowed.

    Intake Facility Locations

    All intake facilities for individual adults are open 24 hours, 7 days a week, including holidays. 

    Intake facilities meet all building requirements as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Interpreter assistance is available if you don't speak English, or if you are deaf or hard of hearing.

    Transgender individuals may use the intake center that matches their gender identity. Gender identity is the gender you identify with, regardless of your biological gender or legal identity.

    Men

    30th Street Intake Center 
    400-430 East 30th Street (at 1st Avenue), Manhattan

    Women

    • Agency: Department of Homeless Services
    • Division: Franklin Women's Shelter
    • Address: 1122 Franklin Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10456
    • Phone Number: (929) 281-2330
    • Business Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week

     Was this information helpful?   Yes    No