This page will be updated periodically, so please check back for new information. If you are in need of housing assistance, click here.
Where are you located?
Council for the Homeless has two office locations:
- The Council for the Homeless Housing Solutions Center (where we work with clients) is located at 2306 NE Andresen, Suite A, Vancouver, WA 98661.
- The Council for the Homeless administrative office is located at 2500 Main Street, Vancouver, WA 98660. This is also the mailing address for our organization.
In a nutshell, what does the Council for the Homeless do?
Founded is 1989, The Council for the Homeless is a nonprofit organization that provides community leadership compelling advocacy and practical solutions to prevent and end homelessness in Clark County. This means we work with social service providers, government, faith communities, educators, businesses and more to identify and implement solutions to homelessness. Our role includes the following:
- Operating the Housing Solutions Center, which includes the Housing Hotline, placing people in available emergency shelter, assessments for housing programs and rental assistance to prevent homelessness, navigation to access other community resources, and working with landlords.
- Coordinating the emergency winter overflow shelter known as the Winter Hospitality Overflow nightly between November 1st and March 31st as well as severe weather shelter when temperatures drop below 32 degrees. (All shelter is accessed through the Housing Hotline.: 360-695-9677.)
- Facilitating the Coalition of Service Providers.
- Administering the Homeless Management Information system, which collects homeless service data used to monitor trends and evaluate strategies.
- Educating and advocating for best practice solutions to prevent and end homelessness in Clark County.
While we place people in emergency shelters and housing programs run by other organizations, we do not own or operate emergency shelters, own or manage apartment complexes, or pay rent/give people money to pay their rent.
Who do you help at the Housing Solutions Center?
We serve people who are literally homeless (living in a car, on the street, in an emergency shelter, fleeing domestic violence) and those who are losing their housing in the near future.
Unfortunately, there are not enough resources in the community to meet the demands, so there are many people who call us that we are not able to serve.
Unfortunately, there are not enough resources in the community to meet the demands, so there are many people who call us that we are not able to serve.
What services do you offer at the Housing Solutions Center?
The staff at the Housing Solutions Center does the following:
- operates the Housing Hotline (the one phone number to call for housing help, including emergency shelter)
- determines guest eligibility for over 40 housing assistance programs (including emergency shelter) operated by partner agencies
- conducts assessments to determine the type of housing assistance that will give an individual, couple or family the best chance of success
- helps our guests who have barriers to renting find rental housing
- helps our guests with basic needs by sharing community resources and hygiene kits
Why have a one-stop access point like the Housing Solutions Center?
The Housing Solutions Center was created in response to the community’s request for improvements to the homeless system and to meet HUD requirements around coordinated entry and assessment.
The benefits of the Housing Solutions Center include:
- People in need have only one place to contact for assistance rather than making multiple contacts with multiple organizations. This saves them time, energy, and money.
- Over 40 housing assistance programs (including emergency shelter) are represented at the Housing Solutions Center.
- Access to housing programs are based on vulnerability assessments, length of homelessness and program eligibility criteria.
- Understanding the number of people who are actually seeking emergency shelter and housing programs and the need for specific types of housing programs.
How do people access your services?
People access our services by calling the Housing Hotline at 360-695-9677.
- The Housing Hotline is open Monday thru Friday 9am-5pm and weekends from 11am-2pm.
- On Federal holidays the Housing Hotline is open 11am-2pm.
- The Housing Hotline has extended winter hours from November 1st to March 30th until 9pm seven days a week.
What happens when someone calls the Housing Hotline?
One of our intake specialists will conduct an initial screening to determine if the household might be eligible for assistance.
- If the caller is in need of emergency shelter and space is available, they will be placed into one of the local shelters on an applicable waitlist.
- If the caller is in need of assistance obtaining or maintaining housing, they will be informed of their options for the next step.
What types of housing assistance programs (operated by partner agencies) do you place people into?
Housing assistance program include emergency shelter, transitional housing, homelessness preventions, permanent supportive housing and diversion services. Each type of program is designed for specific populations facing particular barriers and has unique requirements often based on their funding source.
The HSC places into 40 different housing programs. Our partner agencies are Share, Community Services Northwest, Janus Youth, Impact NW, Second Step Housing, and The Salvation Army.
What about other organizations (such as churches or other non-profits) that offer housing assistance?
There are some privately funded organizations in Clark County that offer a variety of homeless services. Several of those agencies collaborate with the Council for the Homeless and others choose to maintain their own intake process. Households are encouraged to pursue all options while waiting for housing through the HSC.
Do you own apartment complexes that people who are low income people can rent?
No, we do not own apartment complexes. We do encourage private landlords to rent to people who have challenges to renting such as previous evictions or bad credit. Our staff and volunteers work with diversion households to help them find landlords and living situations that are a good fit for all involved.
Do you help with rent?
There are programs operated by our partner agencies that help people who are behind in their rent and/or need help paying their rent going forward or are doubled up and can no longer stay. Resources for this type of assistance are extremely limited. To see if funds are available, people in need of rental assistance should call the Housing Hotline 360-695-9677.
Do you run the emergency shelters?
No, but as the access point for publicly funded emergency shelters, we work closely with the organizations that run the shelters. Our role is to match people in need of emergency shelter with openings available in the shelters on a daily basis. Once someone is in a shelter, they work directly with the shelter staff to manage their stay at the shelter and address any questions or concerns.
Can people bring pets into emergency shelters?
This is dependent on the shelter someone is moving into. Some shelters may accept pets, emotional support animals and service animals. Other shelters may accept only emotional support and/or service animals. It is best to call the hotline and share the situation.
I talked with someone on the Housing Hotline and have a question or have more information to provide. What phone number do I call?
Call the Housing Hotline at 360-695-9677 to inquire about additional resources.
I had an assessment at the Housing Solutions Center. What phone number do I call to update my information or ask about my status?
Call the Housing Solutions Center front desk at 360-699-5106, x113.
Where am I at on the waiting list?
The HSC does not have a waiting list. Instead, a priority pool is used to track households looking for housing and match with housing programs based on vulnerability score, length of time homeless and program eligibility criteria. If a program spot becomes available for you, we will contact you and see if your household might be eligible for a program. As a placement agency, we do not know how long it will take for a program spot to become available for any household.
Please update us if your situation or contact information changes.
I was placed in a housing program but I can’t find a place to rent. What do I do?