What we do
The Office of Homeless Services works with more than 60 homeless housing and service providers, as well as city, state, and federal governments. Together, we make up Philadelphia’s homeless service system.
This system provides homelessness prevention and diversion aid, as well as emergency and temporary housing, to people who are experiencing homelessness and those at risk of homelessness.
Get help
If you need help paying rent
You can apply for financial assistance to help pay for overdue rent or a security deposit to move into a new home. To learn how:
- Call the Homelessness Prevention InfoLine at (215) 686-7177 and follow the instructions; or
- Visit a City-funded homeless intake center.
If you still need help applying, email the OHS Prevention, Diversion, and Intake Unit at OHSPrevention@phila.gov.
If you’re living outdoors
If you are or see someone living outdoors, call the City’s Homeless Street Outreach Hotline at (215) 232-1984. The Outreach team can help you find or get to a City-funded homeless intake center. Anyone who needs shelter can visit the centers.
For all other questions, email us at OHS@phila.gov.
Connect
| Address |
1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
10th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102 |
|---|---|
|
ohs |
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| Phone |
(215) 232-1984
help a person on the street
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| Social |
Announcements
OHS intake center closing at 1 p.m., Friday, Oct. 10; how to get help
On Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in observance of the Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day holiday, the Office of Homeless Services daytime intake center, Appletree Family Center, 1430 Cherry Street, will close at 1 p.m.
Roosevelt Darby Center, 804 N. Broad Street will remain open until 5 p.m. to help anyone who needs shelter placement.
Until both daytime intake centers reopen at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14, anyone who needs shelter may visit these after-hour intake centers to get help:
- House of Passage, 111 N. 49th Street
- The Mike Hinson Resource Center, 1701 W. Lehigh Avenue
- Red Shield Family Residence, 715 N. Broad Street or ACTS After-hour Intake Site, 1300 E. Tulpehocken Street
More intake center information is available on the OHS intake centers page.
If you see someone who’s living or sleeping outside, call the City’s Homeless Street Outreach hotline: (215) 232-1984.
OHS requests proposals for additional beds for its Winter Initiative
The Office of Homeless Services (OHS) has posted to the Philadelphia Contracts Hub a request for proposals from for-profit or not-for-profit providers that can add 20 to 150 winter beds in an existing or new location to support the City’s Winter Initiative. The Winter Initiative provides additional shelter beds for people experiencing homelessness, especially those who are sleeping outdoors. This RFP seeks providers to operate beds within the period of November 1, 2025 through April 30, 2026.
Application deadline
No later than 5 p.m. local Philadelphia time on October 14, 2025.
How to apply
Visit eContractPhilly to read RFP 21250918154750 in its entirety and the application instructions.
Questions
Direct all questions about RFP 21250918154750 to Housing Deputy, Roberta Cancellier, or Contracts Administrator, Diana H. Rivera.
