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 EMERGENCY SHELTER

The Boston Public Health Commission’s Homeless Services Bureau has two emergency shelters in the City of Boston:

The Long Island Shelter
on Long Island in the Boston Harbor

The Woods-Mullen Shelter
at 794 Massachusetts Avenue in the South End

Both shelters serve adults ages 18 years or older 365 days a year.  Woods-Mullen Shelter is the intake site for both shelters. Buses pick up and drop off guests going to Long Island Shelter from Woods-Mullen Shelter.

The following are provided to guests at both shelters:

  • A welcoming setting and a warm bed
  • Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served to guests in our dining rooms 
  • Personal Care Items: Soap, toothpaste, and shaving items are given out
  • Emergency Clothing: Clothing is given to those in need
  • Lockers: Lockers for personal belongings can be rented. A small number of medical lockers are available free of charge
  • Medical Health Care: Boston Health Care for the Homeless Clinics are on-site at both shelters
  • Mental Health Care: Guests who feel they need help or counseling can either “walk-in” or make an appointment with social workers
  • Individual Case Management and Substance Abuse Assessment: Referrals can be made to programs, including job training, education, housing, and substance abuse services
  • Mail Services: Either of the shelters’ addresses can be used for personal mail
  • Housing Placement Assistance Housing agencies meet with guests on-site

LONG ISLAND SHELTER

Long Island Shelter has over 400 beds available, 68 are for women. Beds are given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

Transportation goes from our intake site at 794 Massachusetts Avenue (Woods-Mullen Shelter) to Long Island every day between 3:00pm and 10:00pm. Every morning, guests are brought back to Woods-Mullen Shelter in Boston. The shelter is open 24 hours a day during the colder months of the year. 

For more information, please call 617-534-6100.

WOODS-MULLEN SHELTER

Woods-Mullen Shelter is an emergency shelter located at the corner of Melnea Cass Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue. It is open 24 hours a day year-round.  Woods-Mullen Shelter has 190 beds available, 66 for women. Beds are given out on a first-come, first-serve basis. During the Winter months, overflow beds are available for 40 men and 12 women. 

For more information, please call (617)534-7100.

The Richard Weintraub Day Center at Woods-Mullen Shelter

The Richard Weintraub Day Center is located in the lobby of Woods-Mullen Shelter. It opened in 2009 to serve as a day shelter for homeless adults.  Case management and mental health services are on-site daily (8am to 3pm). In the center, there are six chair-beds for the Housing First Program Initiative, “High-utilizers of Emergency Services” (HUES). These chair-beds are available 24hours a day in a semi-private area. Community organizations also use the center to offer services and outreach to shelter guests. 

For more information, please call (617)534-7100.

 Contact

Homeless Services
Emergency Shelter
P.O. Box 220648
Boston, MA 02122 
Email: homelessservices@bphc.org

Long Island Shelter
P.O. Box 220648
Boston, MA 02122
phone: (617)534-6100
fax: (857)288-2056

Woods-Mullen Shelter
794 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA
phone: (617)534-7100
fax: (857)288-2067