Where can I find a warm, safe place to sleep this winter in San Mateo or Santa Clara County?

Needing a bed tonight is frightening. You are not the first person to make this call. There are people whose job is to help you find a place.

This page is general information. DNLH does not run shelters. Beds are limited, so call early in the day and call back if the answer is no.

What is open now for this winter?

These were checked on October 28, 2026, except the WeHOPE shelter details, checked October 27, 2026.

Open now, all year:

• Here4You in Santa Clara County, (408) 385-2400, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. It matches people to emergency shelter.
• Core Service Agencies in San Mateo County. They help people who are homeless or about to lose their housing, including with emergency housing and shelter.
• 211 Bay Area, day and night.
• WeHOPE in East Palo Alto runs a 73 bed emergency shelter, open 24 hours a day, with meals, showers and laundry. WeHOPE says its clients are referred by the counties, and to call to get your name on a list.

Not posted yet for this winter:

• San Jose has not posted dates or sites for its winter Overnight Warming Locations for 2026 to 27.
• San Mateo County has not posted a 2026 to 27 notice for the extra storm beds in its Inclement Weather Program.
• Palo Alto's page describes a seasonal overnight warming location but gives no dates for this winter. It opens only on very cold nights. Call (650) 463-4953 to check if it is open.

Until sites are posted, do not go to a winter site on your own. Use the steps below to get a referral.

How do I get a bed in Santa Clara County?

Call Here4You at (408) 385-2400. It matches singles, couples and families to emergency shelter. Mountain View says the hotline can also give you a ride to the shelter.

If you have children with you, say so and ask for a family referral. The county's hotline guide lists PATH, LifeMoves, Amigos de Guadalupe and San Jose Family Shelter among the family shelter groups. Families are offered a case manager, a person who helps you plan your next steps.

When it gets cold, ask Here4You whether San Jose's winter warming locations are open yet. Those beds are by referral only.

In Palo Alto, the city's page says there is overnight space for up to 10 people on very cold nights. It opens when Santa Clara County declares a bad weather alert (the county calls it an "inclement weather alert"). No referral is needed. It is first come, first served. Call (650) 463-4953 first to check if it is open.

If the line is busy, keep trying. You can also dial 211 at any hour.

How do I get a bed in San Mateo County?

Call your Core Service Agency. San Mateo County says these agencies help people who are homeless or about to lose their housing. Emergency housing and shelter are among the services they list.

• East Palo Alto, Menlo Park: Samaritan House South, (650) 294-4312
• Redwood City, North Fair Oaks, Atherton, Portola Valley, Woodside: Fair Oaks Community Center, (650) 780-7500
• San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Foster City, Burlingame, Hillsborough, Millbrae: Samaritan House, (650) 347-3648
• Daly City, Colma, Broadmoor: Daly City Partnership, (650) 301-3300
• South San Francisco, San Bruno, Brisbane: YMCA Community Resource Center, (650) 271-3850
• Half Moon Bay and the coast: Coastside Hope, (650) 726-9071

The full list, with Pacifica and the south coast, is on the county's Core Service Agencies page.

For storm beds, the county's extra beds also go through your Core Service Agency. The Event Center's program page, last updated in November 2025, says to visit your local Core Service Agency, which connects eligible residents to the county's Coordinated Entry System. That system makes the referrals, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except holidays. Call your agency when a storm is forecast, and ask whether the program is open.

For WeHOPE in East Palo Alto, start with Samaritan House South or 211. WeHOPE says calling 211 is one of the main ways to get connected to the Bay Area's shelter system.

What happened last winter?

This is only so you know what to ask about. None of it is confirmed for this winter. Last winter (2025 to 26), San Jose's winter warming locations were open every night from December 1 into April, by referral only. In San Mateo County, the Event Center said in November 2025 that its storm beds would continue that winter. When the county started them in November 2024, it said they were for single adults and families, by Core Service Agency referral only, with no walk ups, and that most openings would last one to three days. Ask Here4You or your Core Service Agency what is open now.

What if it is night or a weekend?

Dial 211, or text your zip code to 898211. 211 Bay Area answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Ask about shelter tonight and where to go now.

If anyone is in danger, or someone is too cold to think clearly or stay awake, call 911.

What should we bring?

Ask the shelter what to bring and what is not allowed. It helps to have:

• any ID you have, for each person. No ID? Call anyway and ask.
• medicines, and any baby supplies
• a phone and charger
• warm layers and a blanket
• important papers in a plastic bag

If you have a pet, ask before you go.

Will they ask about immigration status?

The county and city shelter pages do not say anything about immigration status. If you are worried, you can ask the agency what information they need before you share any papers. For questions about your case, see free or low cost immigration legal help in the Bay Area.

Who can help?

These are public offices and nonprofits. Contact them to confirm hours, openings and what they need from you. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Here4You (Santa Clara County): shelter referrals for singles, couples and families. (408) 385-2400, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Samaritan House South (East Palo Alto, Menlo Park): 2396 University Ave, East Palo Alto. (650) 294-4312.
• Fair Oaks Community Center (Redwood City area): 2600 Middlefield Rd., Redwood City. (650) 780-7500.
• City of Palo Alto overnight warming location: only on very cold nights. Call (650) 463-4953 to check if it is open.
• 211 Bay Area: dial 211 or text your zip code to 898211, any time. See 211: free help finding local services.

Related questions

• Free food, hygiene items and housing help for young people
• Renting and housing rights for immigrant families
• Where to get help before and after a wildfire, flood or earthquake

One call is the first step toward a warm bed. Keep calling, and let others help carry you through this winter.