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Homelessness in Palo Alto often looks different from the big-city picture. Some people here sleep in cars or RVs, work part time or lost housing after a rent increase. Others are older adults on fixed incomes. Help exists close by, but it is spread across a nonprofit drop-in center, county hotlines, clinics, churches and programs in neighboring cities.
This page is informational. It brings together what the City of Palo Alto, Santa Clara County and the service providers publish as of November 2026, mostly from the city's services for unhoused residents page and its Local Resource Guide for the Unhoused, last updated in March 2026. Programs change often. Call before you travel anywhere. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
If you need a place to sleep tonight
- Here4You shelter hotline: (408) 385-2400. This is Santa Clara County's line for emergency shelter and temporary housing. The city says it takes requests seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. If the line is busy, leave a message for a callback.
- WeHOPE, 1858 Bay Road, East Palo Alto, (650) 330-8000. The city lists daily entry at 4:30 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. East Palo Alto is in San Mateo County, so check intake rules when you call.
- Heart and Home Collaborative: a seasonal shelter for women, open in winter months when operating. Call (650) 600-1555 or email info@hhcollab.org. The city notes a case manager can call on your behalf.
- Overnight Warming Location (OWL): (650) 463-4953. Run by the City of Palo Alto and Heart and Home Collaborative, it opens for up to 10 people during extreme cold when the county declares an Inclement Weather Alert. No referral is needed. It is first come, first served.
For crises other than housing, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline answers 24 hours a day and the county's 24-hour domestic violence hotline is (408) 279-2962. Our mental health resources page lists more crisis lines.
The LifeMoves Opportunity Services Center
The main daytime hub for people without housing in Palo Alto is the Opportunity Services Center at 33 Encina Avenue, a short walk from El Camino Real near Town and Country Village. LifeMoves, a Peninsula nonprofit, runs it. The building also includes permanent housing and a free clinic.
The city lists the center as open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (650) 853-8672. LifeMoves says it serves primarily single adults. Services the city lists include:
- Free showers and laundry. The city says these are available only here in Palo Alto.
- Breakfast from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and lunch from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on weekdays, plus coffee and snacks.
- Lockers, a mailing address and toiletries.
- Computers and Wi-Fi, classes and bus passes.
- Case management, shelter referrals and help applying for permanent housing.
- Emergency help with utility bills and rent.
Peninsula Healthcare Connection works in the same building and offers free primary, preventive and mental health care to people who are homeless and to low-income households. Insurance is not required. Call (650) 853-0321 to schedule.
Coordinated entry and permanent housing
Santa Clara County fills most permanent housing openings for homeless households through a system called coordinated entry. Understanding it saves time.
- Assessment. Every individual and family completes the same standard assessment at a designated access point. The county's system documentation names the VI-SPDAT survey as the tool.
- Community queue. Answers go into the county's shared database and place the household on a community queue.
- Matching. When a permanent supportive housing or rapid rehousing slot opens, programs fill it from the queue based on need and eligibility.
The county lists its access points on the Office of Supportive Housing's coordinated entry page. The office is at 2310 North First Street, Suite 201, San Jose, (408) 278-6400. In Palo Alto, staff at the Opportunity Services Center are the practical first stop for questions about getting assessed. Keep your contact details current with every program you work with, since a missed call can mean a missed match.
The county's Housing Authority and the city's affordable housing programs are separate from coordinated entry and have their own waitlists. Our guide to below market rate housing explains the city program.
Living in a vehicle
Many unhoused people on the Peninsula live in cars, vans and RVs. For overnight parking, the city points to the Move Mountain View Safe Parking Program at (650) 861-0181 or contact@movemv.org. The city describes lots with bathrooms, handwashing stations and staff monitoring. The city's web page and its March 2026 guide give slightly different suite numbers for the Move Mountain View office on Bayshore, so call first rather than showing up.
The city also lists The Karat School Project, which supports families with children who live in RVs and other vehicles with school supplies and essentials. Its contact on the city page is ekeomian@theksp.org.
City parks close at night under the municipal code. The city's guide lists two downtown garages that are open 24 hours, at 445 Bryant Street and 525 High Street, but standard parking rules still apply there. Our parking guide covers time limits and permits.
Help to keep your housing
Getting help before an eviction is far easier than finding housing after one. The city lists several options:
- Santa Clara County Homelessness Prevention System. The city lists a resource hotline at (408) 926-8885 and names the Opportunity Services Center as the Palo Alto provider. Destination: Home, which helps run the system, lists (408) 516-5100 for pre-screening appointments and the site PreventHomelessness.org. Try either.
- Havensafe: intake for rental assistance at (650) 674-2836 or info@havensafe.org.
- Saint Vincent de Paul, St. Thomas Aquinas Conference: (650) 424-8155, with in-person help at 3290 Middlefield Road on Wednesdays from 3 to 5 p.m.
- CalWORKs and General Assistance: county cash aid programs, (408) 758-3800.
- Season of Sharing Fund: one-time help through the county, (408) 755-7710.
Tenants facing eviction should also read our pages on tenant protections and free legal help. A lawyer or legal aid group can explain your rights before a court date.
Health care without insurance
- Peninsula Healthcare Connection, 33 Encina Ave., (650) 853-0321. Free care, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Ravenswood Family Health Network, MayView Palo Alto Clinic, 270 Grant Ave., (650) 330-7400. Primary care, behavioral health, dental and more on a sliding scale. The city says not to visit without an appointment.
- Ravenswood Family Health Center, 1885 Bay Rd., East Palo Alto, (650) 330-7400. The city notes TB tests for shelter entry need no appointment.
- Stanford Medicine Arbor Free Clinic, 114 Fifth Ave., Redwood City, (650) 724-1332. Sundays 8 to 10 a.m., first come, first served.
- Valley Homeless Healthcare Program North County Mobile Health Center: rotating stops in Sunnyvale and Mountain View, (408) 885-5000.
For food beyond the meals at Encina Avenue, see our food assistance guide.
What happened to the Downtown Streets Team
For two decades, Downtown Streets Team was a familiar sight in downtown Palo Alto. The nonprofit was founded here in 2005 and became known for teams of unhoused volunteers cleaning downtown sidewalks. In its own announcement, Downtown Streets Team said it would close all operations effective October 31, 2025. Older city documents and news stories still mention it, so do not be surprised if you see the name. LifeMoves and the other groups listed here continue their work.
For neighbors who want to help
- If someone is in danger or having a medical emergency, call 911.
- For a non-emergency police matter, the city's 24-hour dispatch line is (650) 329-2413. Our public safety guide has more contacts.
- For a mental health crisis, call or text 988. Santa Clara County runs mobile crisis teams through that line.
- To give time, local meal programs and food closets recruit volunteers. See our volunteering guide.
- Share this page or the Here4You number, (408) 385-2400, with someone who needs it.
Good to know
- Shelter beds: Here4You, (408) 385-2400, daily 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Showers, meals and case management: 33 Encina Avenue, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Living in a car: Move Mountain View Safe Parking, (650) 861-0181.
- Downtown Streets Team closed on October 31, 2025.
- This page is informational. Confirm details with each provider before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a homeless shelter in Palo Alto?
The city's resource lists do not name a year-round emergency shelter inside Palo Alto. Shelter beds are assigned through Santa Clara County's Here4You hotline at (408) 385-2400, open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The city also lists WeHOPE in East Palo Alto and a seasonal Overnight Warming Location in Palo Alto during county cold weather alerts.
What is the Opportunity Center in Palo Alto?
It is a LifeMoves drop-in center at 33 Encina Avenue near Town and Country Village, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The city lists free showers, laundry, breakfast and lunch, lockers, mail service, computers, case management, shelter referrals and help finding permanent housing. Call (650) 853-8672.
How does coordinated entry work in Santa Clara County?
Coordinated entry is the county's single intake process for permanent housing. People complete a standard assessment at an access point and are placed on a community queue. Openings in supportive housing and rapid rehousing programs are filled from that queue. Staff at LifeMoves or the county Office of Supportive Housing can explain the nearest access point.
Is there safe parking for people living in cars near Palo Alto?
The City of Palo Alto points people living in vehicles to the Move Mountain View Safe Parking Program at (650) 861-0181. The city says its lots have bathrooms, handwashing stations and staff monitoring. Families with children in RVs can also contact The Karat School Project for support.
Does the Downtown Streets Team still work in Palo Alto?
No. Downtown Streets Team, which was founded in Palo Alto in 2005, announced that it would close all operations effective October 31, 2025. LifeMoves, the county and the other groups on the city's resource list continue to provide services.