What You Need to Know If You Ran Away from Home

If you are between the ages of 16 and 21, you can sleep in a youth shelter. To get a bed call the Department of Youth and Community Development’s Youth Connect at:

• 800-246-4646 or
• 646-343-6800

You can also access help getting into a youth shelter at one of the following youth Drop-in Centers:

• Bronx
  • Cardinal McCloskey
    333 East 149th Street, 2nd floor, BX, NY 10451
    Mon-Fri – 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.
    Sat – 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
    718-993-5495
• Brooklyn
  • SCO Drop-In Center
    398 Grant Avenue, BK, NY 11211
    Mon-Thurs – 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.
    Sat-Sun – 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
    718-384-7083
• Manhattan
  • The Door
    555 Broome Street, NY, NY 10013
    Mon-Tues, Thurs-Fri – 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
    Wed – 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
    Sunday – 12 p.m. –6 p.m.
    212-941-9090
  • Ali Forney Center
    321 West 125th Street, NY, NY 10027
    24 Hours Per Day (7 Days Per Week)
    212-206-0574
  • Safe Horizon
    209 West 125th Street, NY, NY 10027
    Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri – 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
    212-695-2220
• Queens
  • Safe Space NYC, Inc
    89-74 162nd Street, 3rd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11432
    24 Hours Per Day (7 Days Per Week)
    718-526-2400
• Staten Island
  • Project Hospitality
    27 Port Richmond Avenue, SI, NY 10302
    24 Hours Per Day (7 Days Per Week)
    718-876-4752

If you are 18 years old or older, you have a right to a bed in a Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelter. DHS cannot turn you away if you are over 18

DHS has different intake centers that are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are a single man, or are male-identified, you must apply at: The 30th Street Intake Center, 400-430 East 30th street, New York, NY

If you are a single woman, or are female-identified, you must apply at either of these two locations:

• The HELP Women’s Shelter, 116 Williams Avenue (between Liberty Avenue and Glenmore Avenue), Brooklyn, NY
• The Franklin Shelter 1122 Franklin Avenue (near 166th street) Bronx, NY

If you are a married couple, in a domestic partnership, or can show that you and the other adult are looking after a child/step-child, sibling, nephew/niece, or grandchild over 21 years old, you must apply at:

• The Adult Family Intake Center 400-430 East 30th Street New York, NY 10016

If you are in a family with children under the age of 21, a pregnant women, or a family with a pregnant women, you must enter family shelter through Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing (PATH).

In order to get access to a PATH shelter you must first apply for shelter at the PATH intake center in the Bronx at 151 East 151st Street. The PATH building is open 24 hours, but will only process applications from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. If you arrive after 5 p.m., you will be transported to a temporary shelter for the night and be brought back the next day to start or complete your application.

There are also specific shelters for survivors of Domestic Violence. To get into a Domestic Violence shelter you must call the domestic violence hotline: 800-621-HOPE. This process may take some time so make sure you are in a safe space where you will be able to use the phone for at least 45 minutes.

You can call Legal Aid’s hotline at 800-649-9125 Monday – Friday during business hours.

• Generation NYC Runaway & Homeless Youth
• NYC Department of Youth & Community Development Runaway Homeless Youth

The information in this document has been prepared by The Legal Aid Society for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. You should not act upon any information without retaining professional legal counsel.