By Charlene Welch, Council for the Homeless

Our partners make the coordinated homeless response system possible in Clark County. What does coordination look like and why is it helpful to people in need, service providers, and the community?

What is a coordinated systems approach?

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), communities should take a coordinated approach to homelessness, moving from a collection of individual programs to a community-wide response that is strategic and data driven. Communities that have adopted this approach use data about the needs of those experiencing homelessness to inform how they allocate resources, services, and programs.

Coordinated Entry into our homeless system happens through the Housing Solutions Center. Our staff and volunteers help identify a person or family’s best-fit housing solution offered by Share, Janus Youth, Community Services Northwest, Impact Northwest, the Vancouver Housing Authority, SafePark, and Veteran’s Affairs. This approach known as “one front door” helps people in need have one number to call – the Housing Hotline at 360-695-9677 – to access over 40 programs offered through these partners. Intake, assessment, program placement, connections to other services all take place at the Housing Solutions Center – the hub of our community’s coordinated homeless response system.