“I felt a lot of love from the staff and I learned that 
no matter what situation you are in, everyone 
deserves to be loved” -Ricardo

What to Expect

Thank you for visiting Lowell Transitional Living Center’s (LTLC) welcome page.

The Lowell Transitional Living Center is the largest homeless shelter and support organization north of Boston with 60 beds and 30 emergency beds. You should expect to lose an amount of privacy due to the number of people, and it won’t be easy to overcome your personal obstacles, but you can also expect an environment of caring, sensitive staff who will go out of their way to help you adjust. Stress is common, but there is always someone to talk to. All you need to do is ask.

How do I get a bed?

To stay in one of our shelter beds you can visit the front desk between 10am and 4pm for an intake. Your intake will include a drug test and breathalyzer. You will fill out paperwork with basic information about your health and history. Then you will receive the rule book and a bed assignment.

What if I’ve never been in a shelter before?

At LTLC we are committed to helping our guests make the transition to stable, permanent housing. We aim to rehouse people as soon as possible, and we provide support services that encourage housing stability. The decision to enter into a shelter is a brave step. This is not the end of the road; it is a new beginning. We hope you’ll visit us at 193 Middlesex Street and partner with us in your journey from homelessness to housing.

Here is what you can expect as an LTLC Guest:

Welcome: When you enter LTLC for the first time you’ll be greeted by staff at the Front Desk who can start the intake process and assign a bed for you, give you any information you need, and help you feel more comfortable.

Meals: The LTLC Community Meals program serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. Breakfast and dinner are open to the whole community. Breakfast starts at 6:45 a.m., lunch starts at 11:30 a.m., and dinner starts at 5:30 p.m.

Meeting with a Case Manager: If you’d like to meet with a Case Manager you can sign up at the front desk. Case Managers are referral specialists and can connect you to the services you need to get back on your feet.

Shelter: Shelter residents receive access to beds, meals, Case Managers, showers, laundry, healthcare, and mental wellness workshops.

Health Care: Every Monday night guests can receive free health care at LTLC including general checkups and help with injuries, cuts, frostbite, and other hazards from living on the streets.

Housing: Case Managers are on a mission to get you into housing as fast as possible. There will be many challenges ahead but with your Individual Service Plan and the guidance of your new advocate you will find that roads open up and hopea start to become realities.

LTLC remains open through the COVID-19 pandemic catering to the basic and case management needs of the homeless population within the Merrimack Valley. We continue to follow social distancing protocols and sanitize our premises for the health and safety of our community, clients and staff. Contact for more information on shelter operations