Quick answer
Dial 211 first. Indiana 211 is the state’s point of contact for real-time information on warming centers, shelters, and transportation, and it knows which agencies in your county have motel voucher funds today. In Indianapolis, emergency shelter runs through Wheeler Mission (men: 317-687-6795; women and children: 317-687-3630, no appointment needed) and the Continuum of Care’s coordinated entry system, which CHIP leads; the city’s Winter Contingency Plan adds overflow shelter from December through March. Vouchers usually cover one to three nights and go to families, seniors, people with disabilities, and people fleeing violence first. No agency charges for a voucher.
Key facts
- No statewide voucher program: HUD’s Emergency Solutions Grants fund emergency shelter, outreach, prevention, and rapid re-housing through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority and cities, which pass money to local nonprofits.
- Indianapolis: CHIP leads coordinated entry for the Indianapolis Continuum of Care, connecting more than 1,000 people a year to housing programs; the 2026–27 Winter Contingency Plan was not yet published as of late October 2026, while last season’s ran December 1 to March 31 with two overflow locations plus beds at the Assessment and Intervention Center and Wheeler Mission.
- Wheeler Mission provides emergency shelter for men (317-687-6795) and women and children (317-687-3630) with no appointment; beds for women and children are given out by phone based on availability.
- Salvation Army corps across Indiana run shelters and emergency assistance; some issue motel vouchers when shelters are full.
- Disaster displacement: IHCDA ran a hotel assistance program for people displaced by the August 11, 2026 storms, reached through Indiana 211.
Table of contents
- Who issues hotel vouchers for homeless people in Indiana?
- How do Indianapolis shelters, coordinated entry, and the winter plan work?
- What about Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, and the rest of the state?
- What should I say when I call?
- What if I am a veteran, fleeing abuse, or displaced by a disaster?
- What happens after a voucher runs out?
- Related guides
- Frequently asked questions
Who issues hotel vouchers for homeless people in Indiana?
The money behind most Indiana emergency lodging is HUD’s Emergency Solutions Grants program, which funds street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing, and data systems, and whose eligible recipients are states, cities, and counties that pass funds to nonprofits, according to HUD Exchange. In Indiana the state share flows through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority to regional providers; Indianapolis and other cities receive their own. The agencies that actually hand out a voucher or a bed:
| Who | What they provide | How to reach them |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana 211 | Real-time referrals to shelters, warming centers, motel voucher funds, and transportation | Dial 2-1-1 or see 211.org |
| Wheeler Mission (Indianapolis, Bloomington) | Emergency shelter, meals, medical clinics, recovery programs | Men 317-687-6795; women and children 317-687-3630 |
| Coordinated entry (CHIP, Indianapolis CoC) | Assessment and matching to shelter, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing | Through outreach teams and intake sites; 211 can direct you |
| The Salvation Army | Shelters and emergency assistance; some corps issue motel vouchers when shelters are full | Location finder |
| Township trustees | Indiana’s township assistance can pay emergency shelter, rent, or utilities for residents who qualify | Your township trustee office |
| Domestic violence programs | Confidential shelter or hotel placement | National hotline 1-800-799-7233 |
| American Red Cross | Free shelter after fires, floods, and storms | Open-shelter map |
Indiana is unusual in having township trustees: every township runs a small assistance office that can pay for emergency shelter, rent, or utilities for residents who meet its standards. Ask 211 for your trustee’s number; many charities will ask whether you applied there first.
How do Indianapolis shelters, coordinated entry, and the winter plan work?
Shelter tonight. Wheeler Mission’s Shelter for Men (317-687-6795) and Center for Women and Children (317-687-3630) provide meals and overnight shelter with no appointment; the women’s center gives beds away over the phone based on availability, per its get-help page. Other Indianapolis shelters serve families, youth, and specific needs; 211 has the current list.
Coordinated entry. The Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention leads coordinated entry for the Indianapolis Continuum of Care, which connects an average of more than 1,000 people a year to housing programs. Completing the assessment is what gets you on the lists for rapid re-housing and permanent supportive housing, so do it on day one; outreach teams and intake sites run it, and CHIP’s annual Handbook of Help lists them.
Winter Contingency Plan. Each winter the city and the Continuum of Care open overflow shelter so no one is turned away in dangerous cold. Last season’s plan ran December 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 with two overflow locations plus beds at the Assessment and Intervention Center and Wheeler Mission. As of late October 2026, CHIP states that the 2026–27 plan is not yet available, per its weather response page; check it or call 211 once cold weather starts.
What about Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, and the rest of the state?
Outside Marion County, Indiana’s “Balance of State” Continuum of Care runs coordinated entry through regional planning councils, and each region has its own shelters and voucher funds: rescue missions and Salvation Army corps in Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, Lafayette, Terre Haute, and Bloomington; the Julian Center and similar domestic violence shelters; and township trustees everywhere. Rules differ, so the reliable path is the same: dial 211, ask for tonight’s shelter and any motel voucher funds, and ask where your region’s coordinated entry assessment happens.
What should I say when I call?
- “I have no safe place to sleep tonight.” Then your city and county.
- Who is with you: adults, children and ages, anyone pregnant, elderly, disabled, or a veteran.
- Why: eviction, fire, domestic violence, hospital discharge, job loss.
- Ask directly: “Do you have motel voucher funds today, or an open shelter bed? If not, who does?”
- Ask about the township trustee and coordinated entry, and write down addresses, hours, and what to bring (usually a photo ID).
Watch out: no Indiana agency charges for a voucher or asks for a card number to “hold a room.” Sites selling “instant Indiana hotel vouchers” are scams.
What if I am a veteran, fleeing abuse, or displaced by a disaster?
- Veterans: call the VA’s National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838, free and 24/7; VA programs such as SSVF can place veterans in emergency housing directly, per the VA homeless programs page.
- Domestic violence: call 1-800-799-7233; Indiana shelters such as the Julian Center in Indianapolis arrange confidential placement.
- Disaster: the Red Cross opens free shelters after fires and storms, and after the August 11, 2026 storms IHCDA ran a hotel assistance program for displaced residents through Indiana 211; after any declared disaster, ask 211 whether a similar program is open.
What happens after a voucher runs out?
A voucher buys nights, not a home. Use the first day to complete coordinated entry, apply for SNAP (estimate with our SNAP calculator) and Medicaid, ask your township trustee about rent help, and get on Housing Choice Voucher lists with a homeless preference. Rapid re-housing, funded by ESG, pays deposits and short-term rent for people leaving homelessness; coordinated entry is the door.
Applying is free. 211, shelters, coordinated entry, township trustees, and the VA never charge.
For more specifics, see our guides on immediate hotel vouchers for people who are homeless and an hour-by-hour plan for tonight.
Related guides
- How motel vouchers work and who qualifies
- Grants for homeless people: the programs that pay for housing
- Emergency shelter for families
- Need help paying for a hotel room?
Frequently asked questions
Does Indiana have a state hotel voucher program for homeless people?
No. Vouchers come from local agencies and charities funded by HUD grants and donations. Dial 211 to find which agencies in your county have funds today.
Where do I get emergency shelter in Indianapolis tonight?
Wheeler Mission: men 317-687-6795, women and children 317-687-3630, no appointment needed. During winter, the city’s Winter Contingency Plan adds overflow shelter; 211 has current locations.
What is coordinated entry in Indiana?
The single intake and assessment HUD-funded regions use to match people with shelter, rapid re-housing, and permanent supportive housing. In Indianapolis, CHIP leads it; elsewhere, regional planning councils do.
Can a township trustee pay for a hotel in Indiana?
Township trustees can provide emergency shelter, rent, or utility help for residents who meet their standards. Ask 211 for your trustee’s office.
How many nights does an Indiana hotel voucher cover?
Usually one to three nights, depending on the agency’s funds and the weather, with families, seniors, people with disabilities, and people fleeing violence served first.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on October 25, 2026. If a source and this page ever disagree, follow the source.
- HUD Exchange: Emergency Solutions Grants program requirements
- Wheeler Mission: Get Help Now (shelter phone numbers and intake)
- CHIP (Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention): Weather Response and Winter Contingency
- CHIP: Handbook of Help 2026
- The Salvation Army: emergency shelter
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: homeless programs and call center
- American Red Cross: find open shelters
- 211.org: find your local 211
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and not an application. Voucher funding and shelter capacity change daily; confirm with 211. National Relief Program is an independent website, not a government agency. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Before you apply: program rules, amounts, and deadlines change. Always confirm details with the official agency or program administrator. Applying for government benefits is free.
National Relief Program is an independent guide, not a government agency. Spotted an error? Email support@nationalreliefprogram.org.
