Efforts to Support Housing Needs in 2023

The Church and LifeMoves Help the Homeless in the San Francisco Bay Area

There are many reasons why individuals might experience homelessness. Homelessness might be a temporary circumstance caused by a natural disaster, conflict, or another extreme situation. In other cases, homelessness might be the result of job loss, mental health challenges, addiction, or simply bad circumstances.

Regardless of the cause, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides significant humanitarian aid to address housing concerns in a way that provides privacy, safety, and dignity to all.

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Projects serving the homeless

In addition, 11,063 individuals accessed Transitional Services resources in 2023.

Addressing Homelessness

Transitional Services

The Church operates nine Transitional Services offices in the United States. Staff at these offices are trained to help those experiencing homelessness to feel love and support as they seek to change their circumstances. Transitional Services helps with immediate temporal needs and refers individuals to local community resources for support with mental health, addiction, or employment needs.

Donations and Funding

Elsewhere in the United States and throughout the world, the Church provides humanitarian funding and donations to support organizations that serve individuals experiencing homelessness.

Emergency Shelter

Among other efforts in 2023, the Church collaborated with ShelterBox to provide tents for over a thousand families displaced by conflict in Yemen. The Church also opened meetinghouses as temporary shelters and provided hotel vouchers to residents who had been displaced by wildfires in Maui.

Mother and her children, including new twins, in a clean tent in Syria

Photo courtesy of ShelterBox USA.

Helping the Vulnerable

The Church worked with several organizations to aid vulnerable communities at a higher risk of experiencing homelessness (such as those seeking refuge or asylum). For instance, the Church worked with the Pastoral Dimension of Human Mobility of the Conference of the Mexican Episcopate to donate equipment to eleven shelters and four community kitchens, helping thousands of people to access shelter, clothing, legal assistance, and more.

Starting Again in a New Country

Nadia and her family moved to the United States in 2023. Because of health problems, she and her husband struggled to find work in their new home—despite being highly educated.

With help from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as Lao Family Community Development, Nadia and her husband were able to receive financial support to cover their rent and avoid homelessness. As a result of this aid at a critical time, Nadia and her husband were able to focus on finding employment, leading to greater self-reliance.

What Can I Do?

    • Volunteer at a local evacuation center or your local Red Cross or Red Crescent office.
    • Sponsor a family seeking refuge in your area.
    • Talk to your neighbors about the needs of those experiencing homelessness in your community.

    Get Involved through Service

    JustServe.org is a great place to find service projects on topics that you are passionate about. Use the search to find housing-related service projects in your area.