Emergency Shelter Clearinghouse

One phone number to call for shelter – 360-695-9677

Council for the Homeless manages the Emergency Shelter Clearinghouse (ESC). The ESC is the first call for people in need of shelter in Clark County. Rather than calling each shelter one-by-one, people in need call the ESC to learn about shelter availability countywide. Council for the Homeless and area shelters work together to ensure the system for accessing shelter is fair and that clients are treated with respect.

A dedicated team makes the system work

The Clearinghouse is managed by one staff member and many generous volunteers who collectively donate thousands of hours each year to staff the Hotline. In 2010, the Clearinghouse Hotline received 21,219 calls and helped more than 4,000 clients. To learn about volunteering at the ESC contact Serenity Madrone.

A part of the larger effort to end homelessness

With permission from the caller, the ESC collects information to help the caller find necessary resources. Without identifying the caller, the information is collected in the Homeless Management Information System. This allows the Council for the Homeless to monitor trends and needs.

For example, if data collected over a period of time shows an increase in people who are homeless for the first time, or an increase in families with children under 18 becoming homeless, we bring the information to the community to more closely examine the data and address the needs.