Opportunities for Housing-Insecure Students
17 opportunities specifically for housing-insecure students.
Youth Emergency Services (YES) — Shelter & Support for Homeless Youth
Youth Emergency Services
The only organization in the Omaha metro solely focused on youth homelessness — serving young people since 1974. YES provides a comprehensive continuum of care for youth and young adults ages 16–25: a 24/7 staffed Emergency Shelter, the Transitional Living Program (apartment-style housing for up to 18 months for ages 16–21), a Maternity Group Home (for pregnant and parenting youth ages 16–21), and the Drop-In Center at 2602 Harney Street offering food, clothing, showers, laundry, and connections to services for anyone ages 16–25. Street Outreach meets unsheltered young people where they are and connects them to the Drop-In Center and shelter.
Rolling / Open
Heartland Family Service — Financial Stability Programs
Heartland Family Service
Heartland Family Service (HFS) has served the Omaha and Council Bluffs metro for 150 years, offering financial stability programs including credit counseling, foreclosure prevention counseling, and homebuyer education. Services are available on a sliding fee scale based on income, with most services free or very low-cost for low-income households. HFS serves over 140,000 people annually from 20 locations in eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa, making it one of the largest human services organizations in the region. Accepts Medicaid and Medicare.
Rolling / Open
IowaWORKS Council Bluffs — Career & Job Training Services
Iowa Workforce Development
The IowaWORKS office in Council Bluffs is a free American Job Center offering one-on-one career counseling, virtual resume-building workshops, labor market information, connections to paid training programs, and youth workforce services. Walk-ins welcome Monday–Friday.
Rolling / Open
Iowa Legal Aid — Council Bluffs Office
Iowa Legal Aid
Free civil legal help for low-income Iowans in Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County. Iowa Legal Aid handles housing, family law, consumer rights, employment, government benefits, and individual rights cases. Services include legal advice, limited assistance, and full representation for qualifying clients.
Rolling / Open
211 Nebraska — Free 24/7 Community Resource Helpline
United Way of the Midlands
Free 24/7 helpline connecting anyone in Nebraska or Iowa to health and human services. Dial 2-1-1, text your ZIP code to 898-211, or search at ne211.org to find: food assistance, emergency shelter, healthcare, mental health services, childcare, employment programs, substance abuse support, utility assistance, legal aid, and more. Community Resource Specialists are trained to connect callers to the right local programs. Also administers Save Our Seniors, Help Me Grow Nebraska, the Military and Family Helpline, and serves as the state's Aging and Disability Resource Center.
Rolling / Open
Siena Francis House — Emergency Shelter & Comprehensive Services
Siena Francis House
Nebraska's largest homeless shelter, serving over 3,150 individuals annually. Operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Provides 450 beds (350 for men, 100 for women) with daily meals, case management, and services designed to move people into stable housing. Programs include the Miracles addiction recovery program, permanent supportive housing (Siena Apartments and Cottages), street outreach connecting unsheltered individuals to the shelter, and Nebraska's first nationally certified Medical Respite Program (achieved certification in October 2025) — providing recuperation care for individuals released from the hospital who have no home to recover in.
Rolling / Open
Stephen Center — Emergency Shelter for All Family Configurations
Stephen Center
The only emergency shelter in Omaha that keeps all family configurations — including mixed-gender families — together without separation. Pettigrew Emergency Shelter provides 69 beds (32 for men, 32 for women, 5 family rooms). Case managers help residents develop individualized housing plans, while daily Life Skills classes cover anger management, finances, parenting, relationships, and job seeking. The HERO Addiction Recovery program serves co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Permanent Supportive Housing available for individuals with high barriers (mental health challenges, physical disabilities). No one turned away due to family structure.
Rolling / Open
MICAH House — Emergency Family Shelter (Council Bluffs)
MICAH House
Emergency shelter for families and individuals experiencing homelessness in the bi-state metro — serving Iowa and Nebraska residents since 1986. Located in Council Bluffs at 1415 Avenue J. Provides 23 private family bedrooms accommodating families up to 10 individuals. Services include case management, daily meals, bedding and hygiene products, clothing (including professional attire), free laundry, over-the-counter medications, weekly health assessments, first aid, prenatal and childbirth support, breastfeeding resources, and adult education classes. Accepts residents from Pottawattamie, Harrison, and Mills counties (Iowa) and Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders, and Washington counties (Nebraska).
Rolling / Open
Iowa HHS — Apply for SNAP, FIP & Medicaid in Council Bluffs
Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
Iowa's free online system for applying for food assistance (SNAP/FAP), cash assistance (Family Investment Program/FIP), and health coverage (Iowa Medicaid). Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County residents are Iowa residents and must apply through Iowa's system — NOT Nebraska's. Apply online at hhsservices.iowa.gov, by mail, by fax, or in person at the Pottawattamie County HHS office. Call 1-877-347-5678 to locate your nearest Iowa HHS office and get help applying. Iowa SNAP, FIP, and Medicaid programs have separate eligibility rules from Nebraska's programs.
Rolling / Open
Community Alliance — Mental Health & Substance Use Services
Community Alliance
Omaha's largest nonprofit integrated mental health and behavioral health organization, with over 200 professionals serving the metro area. Offers outpatient mental health and substance use counseling, medication management, integrated primary care, intensive outpatient programming (IOP) for co-occurring disorders, psychiatric residential rehabilitation, day rehabilitation, supported employment, homeless outreach, recovery support services, and assertive community treatment (ACT). Accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and most private insurance. Sliding fee scale for uninsured or underinsured clients — no one turned away based on inability to pay.
Rolling / Open
Legal Aid of Nebraska — Free Civil Legal Help
Legal Aid of Nebraska
Free civil legal services for low-income Nebraskans in Douglas County and across all 93 counties statewide. Legal Aid handles housing, family law (divorce, custody, protection orders), debt, income and benefits, and immigration matters. Apply online or by phone — no walk-ins. The A2J Self-Help Center at 209 S. 19th St., Suite 200, Omaha provides computers and forms for self-represented individuals.
Rolling / Open
Open Door Mission — Emergency Shelter, Meals & Recovery Programs
Open Door Mission
One of Omaha's largest emergency shelter campuses, with 917 beds serving men, women, and families. Lydia House serves women and families with life-skills programming and case management to address root causes of homelessness. The Garland Thompson Men's Center includes the WorkNet/GED program for education and job readiness, and the New Life Recovery Program for substance abuse recovery. The Journey to Work program connects residents with employment. A free on-site Health and Wellness Clinic provides basic medical care. Over 5,366 nutritious meals served daily. Homeless prevention resources also available for those housed but at risk.
Rolling / Open
ACCESSNebraska — Apply for SNAP, Medicaid & TANF Online
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Nebraska's free online portal for applying for food assistance (SNAP), health coverage (Medicaid and CHIP), and cash assistance (ADC/TANF). Apply at iServe.nebraska.gov, by mail, by phone, or in person at a Douglas County DHHS office. For Omaha-area help: Economic Assistance (SNAP/TANF) at (402) 595-1258 or statewide toll-free at (800) 383-4278. Medicaid: (402) 595-1178 or toll-free (855) 632-7633. NOTE: This is Nebraska's system. Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County residents apply through Iowa HHS — see the Iowa HHS listing on this platform.
Rolling / Open
WIOA Youth Program — Dynamic Workforce Solutions
Dynamic Workforce Solutions
Federally funded workforce program serving youth in Douglas, Sarpy, and Washington Counties. Helps young people set educational and employment goals, earn credentials, and connect with paid work experience and job training in high-demand fields.
Rolling / Open
Food Bank for the Heartland — Find Food Near You
Food Bank for the Heartland
Regional food bank distributing through more than 500 partner pantries, schools, churches, and nonprofits across Nebraska and western Iowa — including Omaha and Council Bluffs. Distributed 24.4 million meals in FY2025. Use the interactive "Find Food" map at foodbankheartland.org/food-resources/find-food/ to locate the nearest food pantry, mobile pantry stop, or food distribution event by ZIP code. New warehouse facility opened at 4645 S. 84th Street, Omaha in 2025–2026. Also runs the BackPack Program (weekend food for schoolchildren) and Kids Café (after-school meals).
Rolling / Open
Heartland Hope Mission — Food Pantry & Family Essentials
Heartland Hope Mission
South Omaha food pantry and family resource center providing working families with a week's supply of groceries, diapers, formula, baby wipes, clothing, hygiene items, and household goods. Also offers SNAP enrollment assistance, community referrals, and a New Parents Program with specialized resources for new mothers. Households may visit once per month; senior (60+) or disabled households with documentation may visit twice monthly. Second location at 15555 Industrial Rd in West Omaha.
Rolling / Open
Project Everlast — Foster Youth Support
Project Everlast
Connects current and former foster youth (ages 14–26) in Nebraska with housing assistance, educational support, employment help, and a community of peers who understand the foster care experience.
Rolling / Open