In Denver, homeless families and individuals can access short-term hotel vouchers through programs such as the Denver Department of Human Services’ Cold Weather Motel Voucher Program, as well as through non-profit initiatives like the Theodora Family Hotel, managed by Volunteers of America. These vouchers provide temporary shelter during emergency situations, periods of extreme weather, or when shelters are at maximum capacity, and include additional support services to facilitate the transition to permanent housing.
The Denver Department of Human Services (DHS) provides short-term emergency hotel and motel vouchers strictly through affiliated local shelters. These vouchers are reserved primarily—and as a last resort—for families with minor children, women, and adults with medically certified health conditions, in cases where standard area shelters are at full capacity. Vouchers are not issued directly to individuals who visit city administrative buildings without having first gone through an authorized intake center.
How to Request an Emergency Voucher in Denver
To access these emergency motel vouchers, individuals and families must visit one of the shelter assessment centers designated by the city during established intake hours:
Samaritan House Homeless Shelter – Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities of Denver does not administer or distribute its own independent hotel voucher program at Samaritan House. Instead, the Samaritan House Downtown shelter serves as an official evening assessment center for the Denver Human Services (DHS) emergency motel voucher program.
Vouchers are utilized strictly as an overflow safety net for families with minor children, single women, and individuals with a physician-verified medical condition, when the physical shelter facility is at full capacity.
How to Access the Program at Samaritan House
Location: 2301 Lawrence St, Denver, CO 80205
In-Person Intake Hours: Every day of the week, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Process: It is not possible to call in advance to “reserve” a hotel voucher. Staff must first assess bed availability within the physical shelter facility. If Samaritan House and other partner facilities have no beds available, a short-term DHS motel voucher may be authorized on-site, subject to the applicant’s eligibility.
Eligibility Rules
Denver Residency Required: The head of the household must present physical identification and demonstrate residency within Denver County. If you are coming from outside Denver County, regulations typically limit emergency placement to a single night, after which you will be referred back to your county of origin.
Time Limitations: Standard emergency placements through DHS are subject to a strict limit of a maximum of 12 to 14 nights within any continuous 12-month period.
Severe Weather Exception: During the winter and cold-weather months (October through April), if nighttime temperatures drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, single-night emergency vouchers are distributed after 7:00 p.m., provided that shelters are full. The Denver residency requirement is waived exclusively for these single-night emergency placements necessitated by severe weather conditions.
The Gathering Place
The Gathering Place serves as the official daytime assessment and intake center for Denver Human Services’ (DHS) Family Motel Voucher Program. As a drop-in day center, it serves women, transgender/non-binary individuals, and mothers with minor children. Vouchers are not issued indiscriminately; staff first assess the physical capacity of local shelters and authorize vouchers only as a last resort.
How to Access Vouchers at The Gathering Place
To be screened for an emergency motel voucher, you must complete an in-person assessment during specific intake hours:
Location: 1535 High Street, Denver, CO 80218 (just north of Colfax Avenue).
Voucher Intake Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Morning Resources: The facility opens earlier to provide general day shelter services (meals, showers, laundry, and case management), starting at 8:30 a.m.
Phone/Email Policy: Staff cannot issue or reserve hotel vouchers by phone or email. You must appear in person.
Mandatory Eligibility Requirements
Family Status: You must be an adult who identifies as a woman, a gender-diverse individual, or a head of household with children aged 18 or younger.
Priority to Physical Shelters: Vouchers are granted only if the city’s conventional physical shelters are at full capacity. If a bed is available at a shelter and you decline it, you will be disqualified from receiving a voucher.
Denver County Residency: You must present identification or proof of residency within Denver County. Non-residents are limited to a single one-night voucher before being referred to their county of origin.
Voucher Limit: The duration of stays is legally limited to a maximum of 12 to 14 nights within a continuous 12-month period.
Volunteers of America Mission
The Volunteers of America (VOA) Mission operates strictly as a daytime assessment center for the Denver Human Services (DHS) emergency motel voucher program for families. Vouchers are not issued on demand; they are issued as a last resort—exclusively to families with minor children, single women, and adults with medically verified health conditions—and only when beds in city shelters are at full capacity.
Eligibility Criteria
Household Type: Must be a parent/guardian with children aged 18 or younger, a single woman, or possess documentation of a serious medical condition.
Shelter Capacity: Staff must verify that conventional physical shelters (such as Samaritan House) are at 100% capacity before the issuance of a voucher can be legally authorized.
Denver Residency and Identification: You must present identification and proof of residency within Denver County. Non-residents are limited to a single one-night emergency voucher.
Time Limit: Emergency motel vouchers are strictly limited to a maximum of 12 to 14 nights within a continuous 12-month period.
What to Do If the VOA Mission Is Closed
Since the VOA intake area remains closed from Friday through Sunday, and after 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, please use these alternative locations if you require emergency shelter for tonight:
Every Night (5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.): Proceed to Samaritan House Downtown (2301 Lawrence St), located just a few blocks from the VOA Mission. Voucher assessments are conducted there on a daily basis.
Late Night / Weekends (Families Only): If it is already past 9:00 p.m. on a weekday, or past 8:00 p.m. On weekends, families must proceed to the Denver Sheriff’s Office at the Downtown Detention Center (490 W Colfax Ave) to complete the emergency intake process for an overnight stay.
How to Access Vouchers at the VOA Mission
To be screened for a motel voucher, you must appear in person during the designated hours for housing intake:
Location: 2877 Lawrence St, Denver, CO 80205
Intake Hours: Monday through Thursday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
No Phone Reservations: Staff cannot issue, hold, or reserve hotel vouchers over the phone. You must complete the assessment in person.
Rules and Requirements for Hotel Vouchers in Denver
Shelter Capacity Priority: Vouchers are only activated when traditional physical shelters have run out of available beds. Refusing an available bed at a shelter invalidates your eligibility to receive a voucher.
Residency and Identification: Heads of household must present physical identification and demonstrate residency in Denver County. Generally, non-residents are limited to receiving a single-night emergency voucher before being referred to their county of origin.
Time Limits: Standard emergency motel vouchers have a maximum limit of 12 to 14 nights within a continuous 12-month period.
Exceptions for Severe Winter Weather Conditions
During the winter months (October through April), the city relaxes certain restrictions. If the overnight temperature drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and capacity at traditional shelters is exhausted, DHS offers single-night vouchers for cold weather conditions.
The requirement for proof of residency is waived for these single-night allocations due to severe weather. Single adults in need of winter resources may also contact the Salvation Army Connection Center to check for availability at designated winter shelters, such as the Inn at the Highland.
Broader Local Housing Assistance
For immediate and alternative support or guidance, or to inquire about programs in neighboring counties, individuals may dial 2-1-1 or text their zip code to 898-211 to reach 2-1-1 Colorado. For long-term housing vouchers—rather than emergency shelter—the Denver Housing Authority administers a lottery-based application process for the Housing Choice Voucher program.
