Creating Your Account

Step 1: Visit the Website

Go to the Shelter Oakland website. You'll see a landing page with:

• A map showing all available shelters

• Information about how the system works

• An "Apply for Shelter Now" button

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Step 2: Click "Apply for Shelter Now"

This button appears prominently on the home page. On mobile devices, it's displayed as a large button at the top of the screen.

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Step 3: Sign In with Advocate

When you click the button, a login dialog will appear explaining:

"To apply for shelter placement, you'll need to create an account through our secure partner platform, Advocate."

You have two options:

• Sign In With Advocate - Click this to create an account or log in

• View Map Only - If you just want to browse shelters without applying

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Step 4: Create Your Advocate Account

If you don't have an Advocate account yet:

1. Click "Sign In With Advocate"

2. You'll be redirected to the Advocate platform

3. Follow their instructions to create an account

4. Once complete, you'll be redirected back to Shelter Oakland

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Step 5: Complete Household Setup

After logging in for the first time, you must set up your household information before you can apply for shelter.

This is a required 3-step process. See Setting Up Your Household for detailed instructions.

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Already Have an Account?

If you already have an Advocate account, just click "Sign In With Advocate" and log in with your existing credentials.