Partner Partner Content How to find a homeless shelter bed in Oakland County

Finding shelter can be frustrating if you’re experiencing homelessness, but a new website called Shelter Oakland makes that process easier in Oakland County. Shelter Oakland allows you to apply online for a bed at four Oakland County shelters, and shows real-time bed availability at two of them.

Here’s how to use the Shelter Oakland website in three easy steps:

1. Search for available shelter: The front page of ShelterOakland.com lists all available beds in Oakland County by shelter. The map on the left side of the page shows where the shelters are located. The list on the right side of the page shows how many beds each shelter has and how many beds are available. (Some shelters require you to call to determine bed availability; their phone numbers are listed on Shelter Oakland as well.) You can also search by the shelter’s name, address, type, and size. 

Look for the colorful tags in each listing that tell you more information about each shelter. For instance, some shelters serve adults, families, or youth only. Others offer shelter for those experiencing domestic violence. A tag will also tell you whether the shelter is “At capacity.” Due to high demand for shelter, shelters usually do not have immediately available beds. But even if so, you can proceed to step 2 to ensure that you’re on the list when a bed becomes available.

2. Apply for shelter: To reserve a bed or get on the list for one, click “Apply for Shelter Now” on the Shelter Oakland home page. You will be prompted to create an account on a platform called Advocate. Follow the instructions to create your account. 

Then you’ll be redirected to Shelter Oakland to create a profile for your household. You’ll need to provide your name, date of birth, gender, current housing status, number of children, county, and the names of any other people who’ll be staying at the shelter with you. Oakland County residents are prioritized in the Shelter Oakland system, but residents of other nearby counties are welcome to apply as well. You’ll be asked other questions on your race, income, and more, but you are not required to answer those. 

You only need to set up your Advocate account and your household once. After that, you can apply for shelter through Shelter Oakland once per day. You do not need to apply to each shelter individually. The website will send your application to all appropriate shelters.

3. Await a reply: Shelter staff will review applications based on availability and priority. If beds are available, most shelters reply within 24-48 hours. You’ll receive a text daily after your application to confirm whether you still need shelter. You must have access to a computer or phone so that you can confirm your shelter reservation. 

Don’t give up if you don’t get shelter the same day you apply. Bed availability is limited, but you should continue to apply daily until you get shelter. Applications expire daily and you cannot apply more than once per day.

Once you are notified that a shelter bed is available for you, you may want to contact the shelter if you have questions about what to bring or how long you can stay. Policies vary from shelter to shelter. If you miss your shelter check-in time or no longer need shelter, contact shelter staff and let them know.