How to Find Emergency Shelter in Phoenix Tonight

By Common Ladder · May 20, 2026 · 6 min read

If you need a safe place to sleep tonight in Phoenix, you're in the right place. This guide cuts straight to what matters: where to go, who to call, and what to bring. No runaround, no jargon — just real options.

Your First Call: 2-1-1

Call 211 first — Arizona's social services helpline. It is not a 24-hour line. 211 Arizona publishes phone hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. From outside Arizona, or from a phone that won't dial 211, use 1-877-211-8661. When you call:

• Tell them you need emergency shelter tonight
• They will screen your household and can put you on the shelter waiting list — have every adult who needs shelter on the call, and the names and ages of everyone in your family
• They can also connect you to food, transportation, and other services

If it is after 7 p.m. — which is when most people read a page like this — 211 will not answer. Your after-hours options:

• Single adults: the Brian Garcia Welcome Center, 206 S. 12th Ave., Phoenix. Keys to Change describes it as open around the clock in one place on its site and as 7 a.m.–11 p.m. in another, so call ahead on 602-883-4509 rather than relying on either.
• Mental health crisis, any hour: call or text 988.
• Fleeing domestic violence, any hour: the Maricopa County DV screening line, 480-890-3039 (see below).
• Immediate danger: call 911.

211arizona.org is searchable at any hour if you have internet access.

Emergency Shelters in Phoenix (Open Now or After Hours)

Here are some of the main emergency shelters serving single adults and families in Phoenix. Hours and intake policies can change — call ahead when possible.

Keys to Change (formerly Human Services Campus)

The largest single-site shelter campus in the region, in central Phoenix. CASS (Central Arizona Shelter Services) operates the single-adult emergency shelter on the campus; the Brian Garcia Welcome Center is the front door.

Start here — Brian Garcia Welcome Center: 206 S. 12th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007 · 602-883-4509 (call ahead)
Key Campus main line: (602) 282-0853, business hours
CASS single-adult shelter: 230 S. 12th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007 · 602-256-6945 (TTY 800-367-8939)
Serves: Single adults (men and women)
Notes: Go to the Welcome Center to begin an assessment; Coordinated Entry access is on-site. The three addresses above are three doors on the same block, so ask for the Welcome Center when you arrive.

UMOM New Day Centers

One of the largest family homeless shelters in the country. You cannot walk up and get a family bed — UMOM routes families through the county's single point of entry, and there is a waiting list.

Address: 3333 E. Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ 85008
Families with children: call 211 (or 1-877-211-8661) to be screened onto the Family Housing Hub waiting list — the Hub is on the UMOM campus. Keys to Change publishes 602-595-8700 for the Hub; the Hub's own site routes everyone through 211.
Single women without children: call the Halle Women's Center directly on 602-362-5833 to get on its waiting list.
Single men: UMOM refers you to the Welcome Center above.
General UMOM line: 602-275-7852 — this is the organization's main number, not a shelter intake line.
Notes: The waiting list is ordered by need, not by when you called, and being added to it is free.

Paz de Cristo — day center, not a shelter

Paz de Cristo has no overnight beds and is in Mesa, not Phoenix. We list it because it is a real way in for people in the East Valley — meals, documents and staff who can refer you — but do not travel there expecting a bed tonight.

Address: 424 W. Broadway Rd, Mesa, AZ 85210
Phone: (480) 464-2370
Offers: A hot meal in the dining hall daily; weekly emergency food boxes; showers Wednesdays 9 a.m.–1 p.m.; clothing and haircuts; help getting a birth certificate or an Arizona ID (adults only)
Serves: Adults in the East Valley
Notes: Paz de Cristo publishes hours only for its shower program, so call before you go for anything else.

St. Vincent de Paul (Society of St. Vincent de Paul)

SVdP describes "shelter and seasonal weather relief at locations across the Valley," but does not publish which sites those are or who is eligible.

How to reach them: SVdP's current site (svdpaz.org) publishes no help line at all — it directs people to 2-1-1 for services. The number this page carried, (602) 266-4673, no longer appears anywhere on SVdP's site and we could not confirm it is still answered. Try 211 for an SVdP shelter placement, or 602-261-6864 (the security front desk at SVdP's Phoenix dining room, 1075 W. Jackson St.) if you are already downtown.
Serves: Families and individuals; varies by location

Salvation Army — Phoenix

Family shelter intake: there is no direct Salvation Army intake line to give you. Like every other family provider in the county, it takes referrals through the Family Housing Hub — call 211 (Keys to Change publishes 602-595-8700 for the Hub).
Serves: Families with children (emergency shelter)
Notes: We could not verify a Salvation Army Phoenix shelter phone number or address against the organization's own site, so this entry is a route, not a listing.

If You're a Woman or Fleeing Domestic Violence

If you are experiencing domestic violence or feel unsafe, do not start with 211 — Maricopa County has a dedicated, round-the-clock route into DV shelter, and it moves faster:

• Maricopa County DV centralized screening line (DVSTOP), 24/7: 480-890-3039 or 844-SAFE-DVS. This is the single screening line for domestic violence shelter beds across the county.
• Sojourner Center (Phoenix) 24-hour hotline: (602) 244-0089 — the largest domestic violence shelter in Arizona. Main office: 602-244-0997.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline, 24/7: 1-800-799-7233.
• Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence: 1-800-782-6400 or 602-279-2900 (AZ Relay 711). This is a statewide coalition, not a 24-hour crisis line — its survivor site publishes weekday business hours. Use it for advocacy and referrals, not for a bed tonight.

DV shelters keep their locations confidential and will not publish an address. They do screen for domestic violence, so say plainly what is happening when you call. If you are not fleeing violence but have nowhere safe to go, the general routes above are the right ones — and if you are in immediate danger, call 911 first.

If You're a Veteran

Veterans in Phoenix have access to dedicated resources:

• National Call Center for Homeless Veterans: 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838), available 24/7
• Phoenix VA Health Care System: (602) 277-5551, or toll-free 888-214-7264
• VA Community Resource & Referral Center — 1500 E. Thomas Rd., Suite 106, Phoenix, AZ 85014. This is the VA's walk-in front door for homeless veterans in Phoenix. The VA does not publish a direct number for it; Keys to Change lists 602-248-6040, Mon–Fri 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Confirm on the main VA line above before travelling.
• HUD-VASH program (Housing and Urban Development–VA Supportive Housing) can fast-track veterans into housing with ongoing support

What to Bring (and What to Expect)

Most shelters will ask for an ID if you have one, but lack of ID is usually not a barrier to getting a bed for the night. Don't let that stop you from showing up or calling.

What helps to have:

• Government-issued ID (if available)
• Any medication you take regularly
• Any documents related to income, benefits, or housing

What to expect at most shelters:

• A bunk or cot in a shared space
• Dinner and breakfast
• A locker or bag storage
• Rules around curfew and sobriety (varies by shelter)

If Shelters Are Full Tonight

Beds fill up fast — especially in summer. If you can't get into a shelter, here are a few options:

1. Call 211 again during its hours (9 a.m.–7 p.m. daily) — the waiting list is ordered by need and your situation may have changed. After 7 p.m., go to the Welcome Center at 206 S. 12th Ave. instead, or call it on 602-883-4509
2. Ask about overflow beds — some shelters add capacity during extreme heat or cold
3. Maricopa County Extreme Heat/Cold Emergency Response — during dangerous weather events, the county opens additional cooling centers and warming shelters. Check maricopa.gov or call 211 for current locations

This Is a Starting Point, Not the Full Picture

Finding shelter for one night is step one. The real goal is stability — housing you can count on. Once you're safe, Common Ladder can help you find what's next: food resources, case management, mental health services, rapid rehousing programs, and more.

Use the Common Ladder resource finder to search Phoenix-area services by type, location, and eligibility → commonladder.org/resources

You don't have to figure this out alone. Every rung, together.

Last verified against each provider's own website on October 26, 2026. Resource details can change — always call ahead to confirm hours and availability. Found something out of date? Tell us.