There are various shelters that people can use when they have no place to go.

Emergency shelters are places for people to live temporarily when they don't have a place to stay. Emergency shelters (such as women's shelters) are primarily meant for those fleeing an abusive relationship, sexual abuse or domestic violence. Some shelters limit their clientele by gender or age.

Homeless shelters are temporary places to stay, usually meant for homeless people. Usually located in downtown areas, they are similar to emergency shelters. The main difference is that homeless shelters are usually open to anyone, without regard to the reason for need. Some shelters limit their clientele by gender or age.

Women's shelters are places where women (and their children) can go to stay, and are typically for women fleeing domestic violence from their partners or spouses. Women's shelters offer safe, temporary housing and usually other services to enable a return to independent living such as counselling and referrals to community resources.

A group home is usually a single-family dwelling for special populations that need a supervised living environment. Common examples include children and youth in care, individuals with developmental or physical disabilities, individuals recovering from substance abuse, teenaged mothers, or victims of domestic violence.