Marin County Homeless Coordinated Entry System

The Marin County Homelessness Policy Steering Committee (HPSC) implemented Coordinated Entry in 2017 to ensure that people experiencing homelessness receive the best services to meet their housing and/or service needs. The Coordinated Entry program is overseen by the Homelessness and Coordinated Care (HCC) team, a division of Marin County Health and Human Services.

What is Coordinated Entry?

The purpose of a Coordinated Entry System is to ensure that all people experiencing homelessness have fair and equal access to resources. Participants are identified, assessed for, and connected to available housing and homeless services based on their needs. The system uses standardized tools and practices, incorporates a system-wide Housing First (no barriers to entry) approach, and, in an environment of scarce resources, coordinates housing support to prioritize those with the most severe needs.

Who can use Coordinated Entry?

Our Coordinated Entry System is designed to serve individuals and families in Marin County who are experiencing homelessness including those who are:

•  Unsheltered (e.g., living outside, in a car, on the streets, or in an encampment), or
•   Sheltered (Emergency Shelter or Transitional Housing), or
•   Fleeing Domestic Violence

What are the benefits of Coordinated Entry in Marin County?

• Prioritizes limited resources based on level of need (including medical need, length of time homeless, and age)
• Assesses for all participating programs at one time, eliminating the need for participants to contact multiple programs individually
• Targets referrals to available housing and services that best meet the needs of the participant to reduce wasted time and effort
• Communicates clearly what housing and services are available in the community
• Documents needs for different types of housing and services, facilitating ability to advocate for more resources
  

How does this system work?

Instead of a first come, first served approach to homeless services, our Coordinated Entry system offers multiple ways for people experiencing homelessness to access homeless housing and services:

• Entry:
• Phone
• Provider Sites
• Street Outreach
• Assessment:
• Single Adults: MAV-SA (Marin Assessment for Vulnerability - Single Adult)
• Families: Family Self Sufficiency Matrix
• Match:
• Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH): A long-term housing solution that combines permanent housing units with ongoing supportive services to help people with disabilities or complex needs achieve housing stability
• Rapid Re-Housing (RRH): A housing intervention designed to move people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing quickly, with short- and medium-term rental assistance and supportive services
• Usual Care: Referrals to other mainstream services
• Placement:
• Housing navigation services
• Housing location services
• Prioritized transfers as needed