WV Housing Resources for Women After Incarceration

Make a 24-hour housing plan

Write down where you will sleep, how you will get there, and who you can call if the plan changes. If you are leaving a controlling or violent situation, do not share your location with someone who may put you at risk.

1. Call 211 and ask which shelter or coordinated-entry intake is open in your county.
2. Ask whether the program accepts women returning from incarceration and what identification or screening it requires.
3. Ask about transportation, medication storage, curfew, children, pets, and sobriety rules before you arrive.
4. Keep your release papers, ID, medications, and phone charger together in a small bag.

Oxford House and recovery housing

Oxford House homes are peer-run recovery residences. Use the official Oxford House vacancy directory to search current openings, and read the Oxford House information site for the model and contact paths.

Gangsta Goddess also has a West Virginia Housing Resources directory with seeded Oxford House partner records in places including Wheeling, Huntington, Dunbar, Clarksburg, and Martinsburg. Addresses, phone numbers, house status, and admission details can change; call the specific listing and the official vacancy directory before relying on it.

• Ask about current vacancy, move-in cost, weekly contribution, house rules, transportation, and meeting expectations.
• Ask how the house handles medication, work schedules, visitors, relapse, and supervision requirements.
• Do not send money or personal documents until you have confirmed the house and the person you are speaking with.

Transitional and reentry housing

Some programs are residential reentry centers, sober living homes, domestic-violence shelters, or short-term transitional programs. They do not all serve the same population. Ask 211, your supervising officer, a reentry case manager, or a local provider about the current referral process.

Gather before you call

• Release or supervision paperwork and any current ID.
• County where you need to live, expected income, and employment status.
• Medication list, treatment or recovery needs, and accessibility needs.
• Names and ages of children or other household members who may need placement.

For a day-by-day start, read Your First Week Out and use the Gangsta Goddess contact form to ask for help finding the next call.

Section 8 and public housing

Housing Choice Voucher (often called Section 8) and public housing are managed by local public housing agencies. Start with HUD's West Virginia renting resources and HUD housing-counselor search.

1. Find the public housing agencies that serve the county or city where you want to live.
2. Ask whether the waiting list is open, how to apply, and whether you must apply to more than one list.
3. Ask what income, household, identity, rental-history, and screening documents are required.
4. Keep confirmation numbers and update your mailing address, phone, and email whenever they change.
5. Ask the agency directly how its current screening policy treats convictions, supervision, and any time limits. Do not assume a record automatically qualifies or disqualifies you.

Safety, domestic violence, and privacy

If your housing situation is connected to stalking, partner violence, trafficking, or threats, ask 211 for a confidential domestic-violence or safe-shelter referral. Use a safe phone and ask how to protect your location, mail, and online accounts. Call 911 for immediate danger.

HELP4WV can connect West Virginians to behavioral-health and recovery support at 1-844-435-7498. It is not a promise of a housing placement, so keep asking 211 and local providers about shelter openings.

Questions to ask before moving in

• Is the bed or room available now, and who can confirm it?
• What is the total move-in cost and recurring cost?
• What are the curfew, guest, transportation, recovery, and medication rules?
• What happens if I miss a payment, appointment, test, or supervision check?
• Can I receive mail, keep my documents, and store medication safely?
• Is there a written agreement, grievance process, or staff contact?
• What is the move-out plan if the program ends or I lose the placement?

Write down the answers. If something feels unsafe or unclear, pause and call another provider before handing over money or documents.