Lost your home — or about to?

🌙 Need somewhere to sleep TONIGHT (any reason)

• Dial 211 — the fastest route to tonight's open shelter beds and emergency housing in your county (24/7, free, multilingual): 211.org
• Red Cross shelters: call 1-800-733-2767 (1-800-RED-CROSS), text SHELTER + ZIP to 43362, or use the open-shelter map
• HUD's Find Shelter tool — shelters, meals, health care, clothing by location: hud.gov/findshelter
• Local entry points (official): Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services · Baltimore Mayor's Office of Homeless Services · NJ 211 · Delaware State Service Centers
• With kids, tell every line "family with children" — family placements are prioritized and handled differently.

🔥 House fire

• Red Cross responds to home fires every day — emergency lodging, money for immediate needs, medicines, and a recovery caseworker: 1-800-733-2767 · redcross.org home-fire help. If they weren't on scene, call — you can still get help after.
• Don't re-enter until the fire department says so; ask them for the incident report number (insurance and aid will want it).
• Renters: your landlord's insurance covers the building, not your stuff — ask the Red Cross caseworker about replacing documents, and see our document checklist for what to re-order (vital records offices replace birth certificates/IDs, often fee-waived after disasters).
• Ask the fire department or 211 about local fire relief funds — many counties and firefighter charities keep small emergency funds.

⚖️ Eviction — before, during, and after

• Before court: free legal aid changes outcomes — get on it the day you receive papers: PA · NJ (LSNJ) · MD Legal Aid · DE Volunteer Legal Services. Philadelphia renters may qualify for a free lawyer (Right to Counsel) — ask legal aid.
• Rent help can stop it: apply immediately and tell the landlord you've applied — see our rent & eviction programs. Many courts pause cases while applications are pending.
• Never move out on a text or threat alone — only a court order enforced by an officer can remove you. Illegal lockouts (changed locks, removed doors, shut-off utilities) are crimes in PA/NJ/MD/DE: call the police non-emergency line and legal aid.
• If the eviction happens: dial 211 the same day for family/individual placement; ask the court or sheriff how long you have to collect belongings (you have rights to them), and keep every paper.

🌊 Flood, storm & weather disasters

• FEMA — if the President declares a disaster for your county, apply fast (deadlines are short): DisasterAssistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362 (7 days/week). Grants can cover temporary housing, home repair, and losses insurance didn't.
• Red Cross runs shelters and immediate aid in the same events: 1-800-733-2767.
• Disaster Distress Helpline — free 24/7 emotional support after any disaster: call/text 1-800-985-5990.
• Your state's emergency management posts what's activated where: PEMA (PA) · NJOEM (NJ) · MDEM (MD) · DEMA (DE).
• Document everything before cleanup — photos/video of every room and damaged item. Never pay a "FEMA fee": applying is free, and FEMA inspectors carry ID.

🏚️ Condemned building, no heat/water, or unsafe home

• City inspections (311 in Philadelphia and Baltimore) can compel repairs — and if the city condemns the building, ask specifically about relocation assistance; displaced tenants often qualify.
• Legal aid (links above) handles unsafe-conditions cases free — you may have rent-escrow rights instead of having to leave.
• If you must leave suddenly, treat it like the "tonight" section above: 211 first.

💜 Leaving an unsafe household

• National Domestic Violence Hotline — 24/7, confidential, they arrange safe shelter: 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788: thehotline.org
• DV shelters are separate from general shelters, safer for this situation, and accept children.

📋 After any of these: the rebuild list

• Replace documents (ID, birth certificates, Social Security cards) — see the document checklist; fees are often waived after declared disasters.
• Redirect your mail free at usps.com — it keeps benefits and checks finding you.
• Tell benefit programs (SNAP, Medicaid, SSI) your address changed; disasters may qualify you for expedited/replacement benefits, including D-SNAP after declared disasters.
• Then work our What to Protect First guide and the full help directory to restabilize — and our sister sites for food, work, repairs, healthcare, and neighbor-to-neighbor help.