Denver Motel Vouchers and Short-Term Shelter in 2026–27: Who Gets One and How
"Hotel voucher" is one of the most searched phrases in Denver housing help, and one of the most misunderstood. Denver does pay for motel rooms. But the vouchers mostly go to families with children, through one intake line, and they get used most during cold weather. Single adults go through a different system.
Here's how short-term shelter really works in Denver this winter, who to call, and what's changing.
Families With Kids: Start With One Phone Number
If you have minor children and nowhere to stay tonight, call The Salvation Army Connection Center at (303) 295-3366. It's the city's intake and eligibility line for family shelter. Hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday and Sunday.
The Connection Center decides which family shelter placement fits your situation, which may include a motel. It's also a citywide access point for eviction prevention and the region's coordinated housing system. Its case managers can do the VI-SPDAT assessment, the questionnaire that gets families into rapid rehousing and other subsidized programs. They can do it by phone or in person.
The Connection Center also says it may be able to help in situations people don't expect:
You've found a place but can't move in for a few nights, and the shelter is full.
You need a security deposit for a rental priced at or below fair market rent.
You have family in another state you could live with, and you need a bus ticket.
You're behind on rent and have your lease, ID, proof of income, your children's birth certificates and a demand for rent.
Money and space are limited, so call early in the day.
Cold Weather Nights: How Family Motel Vouchers Work
Denver expands shelter on its coldest nights. For 2026–27, the city plans for up to 80 cold-weather nights. It can regularly shelter 600 adults and 200 families through its 24/7 program.
Cold-weather shelter opens when the regular shelter system is full and one of these happens:
the National Weather Service issues a cold weather advisory, extreme cold watch or warning
the overnight low is forecast at 25°F or colder
two or more inches of snow are forecast for Denver
During last season's activations, families went in person, with their children, to a single intake site, the Inn at the Highlands at 2601 Zuni St. Intake started at 9 a.m. on activation days. Eligible families got a motel voucher good for the whole activation. If the motel rooms ran out, the city opened a backup group shelter for families.
If you can't get to the intake site, call the Connection Center at (303) 295-3366 to ask about a ride. The city announces each activation on denvergov.org with that night's locations, so check before you go. Sites can change from season to season.
Single Adults and Youth: "Front Door" Shelters
Adults without children generally don't get motel vouchers. They go through Denver's "front door" shelters, which do intake and can transport people to other shelters:
Men: Lawrence Street Community Center, 2222 Lawrence St., (303) 294-0157. Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Arrive before 6 p.m. if you need transportation to another shelter.
Women: Samaritan House, (303) 294-0241. The city's list shows evening intake, and suggests arriving around 4 to 4:30 p.m.
Youth ages 12–24: Urban Peak, 1630 S. Acoma St., (303) 974-2900. To join the daily waitlist, call (303) 974-2908 starting at 8 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. on weekends.
Domestic violence: SafeHouse Denver's 24-hour crisis hotline is (303) 318-9989.
The city's current list, with hours, is at denvergov.org/findshelter. Cold-weather notices sometimes list different addresses for the same program, so check before heading out.
Pets: Service animals are allowed in Denver shelters. Denver Animal Protection's Safe Haven program can shelter pets for two to four weeks for families experiencing homelessness, and during severe weather.
What's New This Year
A new family shelter. Denver is opening an emergency family shelter at 4280 Columbine St. later this year, for up to 20 families (about 60 people). It's semi-congregate, with shared bathrooms and eating areas, some private family space and an outdoor play area. It's meant as an entry point to faster connections to housing, not long-term housing.
Shorter family waitlist. The city says its family shelter waitlist has dropped to about 170 families, down from more than 400.
Fewer housing vouchers. The Denver Housing Authority held its Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) lottery on September 17 and 18, 2026. Because of federal funding limits, it didn't pull names from the lottery in 2025 or 2026, and says it may not be able to in 2027 either. A motel stay is likely to last longer before a permanent subsidy comes through, so ask about rapid rehousing and DHA properties with their own site-based waitlists.
Tips That Make a Difference
Keep documents together: IDs, Social Security cards, kids' birth certificates and any lease or eviction papers. Intake goes faster with them.
Ask about "rapid resolution." Sometimes a small amount of help, like a bus ticket or a deposit, solves the crisis faster than shelter.
Don't wait for a cold night. Calling the Connection Center early gets you on the radar before activation days, when demand spikes.
Related Guides
If you need help with rent, food or bills while you get back on your feet, these Denver guides list churches and nonprofits that can help:
Closing Thoughts
In Denver, the shortest path to a motel room for a family is one phone call: (303) 295-3366. On the coldest nights, show up in person with your kids at the family intake site. Single adults should head to a front door shelter early in the day. Whatever your situation, ask about assessments and rapid resolution, because the goal is getting out of a motel, not just into one.
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