KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — The Outer Banks’ only seasonal shelter for adults without housing will start taking guests again on Nov. 1, when OBX Room In The Inn opens for its 18th winter with check-in at its Kill Devil Hills intake center.
Starting that day, check-in is open daily between 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the group’s center, 111 W. Carlton Avenue. New guests fill out an intake packet, bring photo identification issued by a government agency, and must clear a drug test, a breath alcohol test and a background check. They are then driven to the shelter building in Nags Head, where they get dinner, showers, laundry and a bed, followed by breakfast and a packed lunch the next morning.
Need climbed last winter. The organization reported a 25% jump in demand during the 2025-2026 season, logging 2,164 room nights and serving 6,492 meals. The typical guest was 49. With $20,000 from the Outer Banks Community Foundation covering security deposits, the shelter also helped 16 people move into long-term housing.
The nonprofit was founded in 2009 to serve Dare and Currituck county adults without homes during the cold months, with support services offered year-round. For more than a decade, guests rotated each week among host churches, sleeping on cots while volunteers cooked and stayed the night. Health concerns during COVID-19 in 2020 ended that model, and the group moved to a rented shelter, which sharply raised its operating costs because space that churches once gave for free now has to be paid for each season.
Community support remains key heading into the busy winter months, and donations go toward meals, beds, clothing and services for guests. More information is available by calling 252-255-1133.
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