Coordinated Entry Dashboard
Coordinated Entry is a statewide system used by the county to assess the eligibility for different housing programs for people experiencing homelessness. The goal is to ensure that limited housing resources are prioritized for the most vulnerable or people with the highest needs.
How people access Coordinated Entry
Those who are experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis first need to complete a housing assessment before they can be added to Coordinated Entry. In Ramsey County, staff complete assessments at shelters, drop-in centers, and with
outreach teams for those who are not staying in shelters. People can also access Coordinated Entry by calling United Way's 211. Families with children can
contact the Coordinated Access to Housing and Shelter at 651-215-2262. Online and telephone assessments are also available.
Types
of housing options available
The housing types
accessible through Coordinated Entry include:
- Rapid Re-Housing: Designed to provide short and medium-term rental assistance to move homeless individuals and families (with or without a disability) as quickly as possible into permanent housing.
- Transitional Housing: A time limited (up to 24 months) program that provides interim stability and support to successfully move to and maintain permanent housing.
- Permanent Supportive Housing: A program with long-term leasing and rental assistance coupled with support services to assist individuals with disabilities or families with an adult or child who has a disability maintain housing stability.
For more information on each program see the Glossary of Homelessness Terms.
What happens after people are assessed
Once people have been assessed and have been placed on the Priority List for housing, they're encouraged to continue searching for housing in the private rental market. During this time, staff continue to engage with clients to ensure that all the required identification and documentation is obtained, keep housing referral information updated, and make referrals for additional support services such as health care, employment, etc.
People who have been assessed and deemed not eligible for Coordinated Entry are directed back to the private rental market to locate housing. This process includes providing people with additional information on housing resources such as HousingLink.
Priority and Referral Lists
The Priority List includes people who have been assessed and are eligible for housing on a particular day, their housing assessment score that indicates which housing programs they are eligible for, length of time on the list and the status of housing referrals.
The Referral List shows people with pending housing referrals, acknowledgement of referrals received by housing providers and outcomes of each referral.
Both lists are maintained in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), which is the database used by most providers to track service use. HMIS does not include everyone experiencing homeless in Ramsey County. There are programs that do not use HMIS and there are people who are experiencing homelessness who do not seek services.
Age
People 50 to 59 years of age make up the largest demographic by age in the county's homeless shelters. People 30 to 39 make up the largest percentage of people placed on the waitlist for housing.
Race and ethnicity
Statewide data shows that African Americans and American Indians are more likely to be homeless compared to the general population and respective to yearly population estimates in Ramsey County.
Ramsey County is committed to reducing racial disparities and advancing racial equity. One element of this process is to identify any racial disparities in data and ensure that race and ethnicity do not impact access and outcomes of services.
Challenges of connecting with people when housing is available
Long waiting lists for
housing and low vacancies result in people waiting an average of 12 months on the Priority List.
Contacting someone when a vacancy is available can be difficult for many
reasons. Common reasons include:
- They no longer have the same phone number, or their phone was lost or stolen.
- Limited turnover for available housing types creates a bottleneck of individuals and families who often disengage with housing navigators and the process.
- Oftentimes, people are in a crisis and do not return calls if there is not an immediate housing resource available.