Hotels for Homeless

The mission and purpose of Hotels for Homeless (H4H) is to provide emergency housing to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, with special focus on those affected by or vulnerable to the Covid-19 pandemic. H4H is grounded in low-barrier, Housing First principles proven to reduce homelessness and preserve community resources. In addition to providing shelter in hotel rooms, H4H is committed to helping participants visualize and attain sustainable futures for themselves by utilizing a holistic care approach that integrates access to social services and community partners, fulfills essential human needs and provides continuity of care during and after program participation. Our goal is to build a sustainable program incorporating these principles into solutions for members of our community experiencing homelessness, even after the threat of COVID-19 has diminished or disappeared.

Who We Are: The program was started in March 2020 by 2 best friends who wanted to spend their free time during Covid shutdown helping their Bloomington community and saw an increased need for safe shelter for those living outdoors. Today the program continues to thrive as a transitional shelter option in Bloomington. Katie and Lindsey run the day to day operations and have several dedicated volunteers that help with any/everything. This means that on any given day one of us could be helping a client fill out job applications, coordinating a fundraiser with a local business, delivering meals to families in the hotel, working on the website design, making calls to help a client access local services, driving someone to a healthcare appointment, applying for a grant from the city, buying a child some diapers, picking up a donated bed and helping a family move into their home, etc. 

What We Do: Primarily, we pay for people experiencing homelessness to stay safely sheltered in a hotel room instead of living outdoors. This program is a transitional option for people in need but it is so much more. We provide daily meals delivered to rooms and pantry staple/snack boxes weekly, we are the link between clients and other community resources that they need assistance accessing (such as the housing authority, job recruiters, education and childcare options, mental and physical healthcare providers, recovery programs, basic needs suppliers, and so many more!), we hold in person and telephone meetings to map out and stick to a plan for success and their future, we help them reach their goals and ultimately move on to their next living situation. 

Who We Help: In an effort to be as low barrier as possible, we accept and encourage anyone and everyone experiencing homelessness to reach out and add their name to our waiting list for services. We do not discriminate based on age, identity, race, orientation, health, ability, education, family size or make up, sobriety status, or any other barrier that might typically be a factor when accessing social services. Our only requirement is that the person(s) is/are experiencing homelessness at the time of service. 

How We Do It: Thanks in large part to donations from the community we have been able to provide services for over a year. We also apply for grants and awards from private and public entities, hold large and small fundraisers of all types throughout the year, and crowdsource support from all over the world. 100% of all donations go directly toward paying for the hotel rooms for clients!

A young family
happy in their own home.