City of Philadelphia

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Office of Homeless Services

Providing emergency housing and other services to people who are homeless and to those at risk of homelessness.

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Office of Homeless Services

Services

Prevent homelessness
Find emergency and temporary shelter
Get help with domestic violence
Find free food and meals
Code Blue
Code Red

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:

  1. Call the Homelessness Prevention InfoLine at (215) 686-7177 and follow the instructions; or
  2. 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
Email ohs@phila.gov
Phone
Phone: (215) 686-7175 ask a question
(215) 232-1984 help a person on the street
Social
Twitter

Announcements

Announcement

OHS PIT Count Coordination RFP application deadline extended

Interested vendors now have additional time to submit proposals for 2026 Point in Time Count coordination.

The Office of Homeless Services (OHS), as the lead agency for the Philadelphia Continuum of Care (CoC), is seeking proposals from applicants with demonstrated experience in planning, coordinating and conducting the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-required Point in Time (PIT) Count. The selected applicant(s) will collaborate with OHS to conduct the 2026 PIT Count.

 

Application deadline

No later than 5 p.m. local Philadelphia time on Oct. 3, 2025.

 

How to apply

Visit eContractPhilly to read RFP 21250903155709 in its entirety and the application instructions.

 

Questions

Direct all questions about RFP 21250903155709 to Contracts Administrator, Diana H. Rivera.

Announced on: Office of Homeless Services
Announcement

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.

Announced on: Office of Homeless Services

Posts

See all posts

Events

  • Oct
    2
    Event
    OHS Service Connection/Site Clean-ups
    All Day
    Multiple locations
    Event

    OHS Service Connection/Site Clean-ups

    October 2, 2025
    All Day
    Multiple locations
    map

    A Service Connection/Site Clean-up will occur today at:

    • PATCO Train Station (13th/15th Locust Street)

    About Service Connection/Site Clean-up Days 

    Office of Homeless Services Encampment Resolution Team (ERT) staff members join the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services’s (DBHIDS) Homeless Street Outreach Team (Outreach) and the City’s Sanitation Department to conduct *Service Connection/Site Clean-up Days. OHS’s ERT staff schedules and leads service connection clean-ups at various selected outdoor encampment locations in Philadelphia.  

    How it Works 

    The teams post signs in advance to alert people living in tents, RVs, makeshift shelters, or none at all, on sidewalks, under bridges, in parks, empty fields, lots, etc., of upcoming service days. Each service day, the teams visit the encampment sites to offer individuals services, such as rides to a City intake center where staff can help find shelter space, Stranded Traveler Assistance, behavioral health, drug or medical treatment, and other similar services. The Sanitation Department team further assists by cleaning up accumulated trash. 

     * Service days are not the same as formal, encampment resolutions, which, while social services-led, involve many more City of Philadelphia departments and nonprofit partners and follow specific protocols regarding personal property storage, notification, and other requirements. 

  • Oct
    3
    Event
    Kensington Service Connections/Site Clean-ups
    All Day
    Multiple Kensington locations
    Event

    Kensington Service Connections/Site Clean-ups

    October 3, 2025
    All Day
    Multiple Kensington locations
    map

    Service Connection/Site Clean-ups will occur today at these Kensington locations: 

    • 709-711 E. Allegheny Avenue
    • Reach Street and Allegheny Avenue
    • 800 E. Allegheny Avenue (multiple locations on block)
    • 1800 E. Clearfield Street
    • 1800 E. Orleans Street  (both sides)
    • 1800 E. Hagert Street
    • 1800 E. Somerset Street (multiple locations on block)
    • 1800 E. Harold Street
    • 400 E. Somerset Street
    • 2800 Kensington Avenue (multiple locations on block)
    • 2000 E. Sterner Street
    • 2000 E. Silver Street
    • 3200 Shelbourne Street
    • 1800 - 1813 Hart Lane (both sides)

    About Service Connection/Site Clean-up Days 

    Office of Homeless Services Encampment Resolution Team (ERT) staff members join the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services’s (DBHIDS) Homeless Street Outreach Team (Outreach) and the City’s Sanitation Department to conduct *Service Connection/Site Clean-up Days. OHS’s ERT staff schedules and leads service connection clean-ups at various selected outdoor encampment locations in Philadelphia. 

    How it Works 

    The teams post signs in advance to alert people living in tents, RVs, makeshift shelters, or none at all, on sidewalks, under bridges, in parks, empty fields, lots, etc., of upcoming service days. Each service day, the teams visit the encampment sites to offer individuals services, such as rides to a City intake center where staff can help find shelter space, Stranded Traveler Assistance, behavioral health, drug or medical treatment, and other similar services. The Sanitation Department team further assists by cleaning up accumulated trash. 

    * Service days are not the same as formal, encampment resolutions, which, while social services-led, involve many more City of Philadelphia departments and nonprofit partners and follow specific protocols regarding personal property storage, notification, and other requirements. 

  • Oct
    3
    Event
    OHS Service Connection/Site Clean-ups
    All Day
    Multiple locations
    Event

    OHS Service Connection/Site Clean-ups

    October 3, 2025
    All Day
    Multiple locations
    map

    A Service Connection/Site Clean-up will occur today at: 

    • Camac Street and Race Street 
    • 1921 Chestnut Street
    • Broad Street and Snyder Avenue

    About Service Connection/Site Clean-up Days 

    Office of Homeless Services Encampment Resolution Team (ERT) staff members join the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services’s (DBHIDS) Homeless Street Outreach Team (Outreach) and the City’s Sanitation Department to conduct *Service Connection/Site Clean-up Days. OHS’s ERT staff schedules and leads service connection clean-ups at various selected outdoor encampment locations in Philadelphia.  

    How it Works 

    The teams post signs in advance to alert people living in tents, RVs, makeshift shelters, or none at all, on sidewalks, under bridges, in parks, empty fields, lots, etc., of upcoming service days. Each service day, the teams visit the encampment sites to offer individuals services, such as rides to a City intake center where staff can help find shelter space, Stranded Traveler Assistance, behavioral health, drug or medical treatment, and other similar services. The Sanitation Department team further assists by cleaning up accumulated trash. 

     * Service days are not the same as formal, encampment resolutions, which, while social services-led, involve many more City of Philadelphia departments and nonprofit partners and follow specific protocols regarding personal property storage, notification, and other requirements. 

See all events

Press Releases

See all Press releases

Programs

PEACE Program

Securing housing for older adults with histories of homelessness and complex physical or behavioral health needs.
Philadelphia rowhomes.

OHS Landlord Engagement Program

Connecting landlords with families and individuals experiencing homelessness.

Landlord Gateway

Centralizing information for landlords to navigate the City’s property management resources.

Resources

OHS mailing list
Get information about success stories, events, and ways to get involved.
Volunteer at a meal site
Serving individuals and community members who are experiencing hunger and homelessness.
2022 annual report
A report on the Office of Homeless Services' efforts to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring in Philadelphia.
OHS flyers
These flyers provided by OHS contain information about various programs and how to get connected to services.

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