{"id":1128,"date":"2023-08-14T20:34:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-14T20:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/?p=1128"},"modified":"2026-03-12T19:05:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T19:05:03","slug":"how-coordinated-entry-serves-veterans-experiencing-or-at-risk-of-homelessness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/how-coordinated-entry-serves-veterans-experiencing-or-at-risk-of-homelessness\/","title":{"rendered":"How Coordinated Entry Serves Veterans Experiencing or At Risk of Homelessness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull va-page-title-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-179 size-large\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/academic-affiliations\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/59\/2025\/05\/Hero2.png?w=1024\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#085795\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading alignwide has-text-align-left\">Featured Article<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"va-body-wrapper wp-block-create-block-body-wrapper va-body-wrapper wp-block-create-block-body-wrapper\"><div class=\"va-body-wrapper__inner\">\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<form role=\"search\" method=\"get\" action=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/\" class=\"wp-block-search__button-outside wp-block-search__text-button wp-block-search\"    ><label class=\"wp-block-search__label\" for=\"wp-block-search__input-1\" >Search Articles<\/label><div class=\"wp-block-search__inside-wrapper\" ><input class=\"wp-block-search__input\" id=\"wp-block-search__input-1\" placeholder=\"\" value=\"\" type=\"search\" name=\"s\" required \/><button aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"wp-block-search__button wp-element-button\" type=\"submit\" >Search<\/button><\/div><\/form>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide va-intro-page va-intro-page-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8cf370e7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Coordinated Entry Serves Veterans Experiencing or At Risk of Homelessness<\/h2>\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #0073aa;\" class=\"wp-block-create-block-colored-spacer has-0073-aa-background-color has-background wp-block-create-block-colored-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>By <strong>Allison Bond, acting national director, Health Care for Homeless Veterans, and Kally Canfield, system improvement advisor for large cities, Community Solutions<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Posted August 14, 2023<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-c00f5982\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"832\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20230814_coordinated-entry.jpg\" alt=\"A group of people holding gears that fit together, symbolizing teamwork\" class=\"wp-image-782\" style=\"width:900px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20230814_coordinated-entry.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20230814_coordinated-entry.jpg?resize=300,195 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20230814_coordinated-entry.jpg?resize=768,499 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/20230814_coordinated-entry.jpg?resize=1024,666 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide va-intro-page va-intro-page-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8cf370e7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p>VA has many homeless programs that serve hundreds of thousands of Veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness each year. But for the most vulnerable Veterans to be helped effectively, they must be reached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s where&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/01\/VA_Coordinated_Entry_Fact_Sheet_February2018_Final.pdf\" data-type=\"attachment\" data-id=\"817\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">coordinated entry (CE)<\/a>&nbsp;systems come in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Local&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hudexchange.info\/programs\/coc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Continuums of Care (COC)<\/a>&nbsp;assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness, providing the services needed to help them move into transitional or permanent housing. CE systems, which are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hudexchange.info\/homelessness-assistance\/coordinated-entry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for all CoCs<\/a>, are a vital part of ending homelessness for Veterans and non-Veterans alike, ensuring they are accounted for and given access to the homeless assistance programs that will best serve them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, VA and community partners work to cultivate a system that encourages coordination and management to ensure vulnerable Veterans and those already experiencing homelessness are prioritized for housing and other support services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-c00f5982\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How CE works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The CE process is a vital part of ending homelessness among Veterans. CE leverages cooperation between local homeless agencies and service providers to create a robust crisis response system. The teams of professionals work together as one unit instead of making individual decisions about who to serve and how best to serve them. This allows the system to effectively connect those experiencing homelessness with stable housing and service interventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through this streamlined approach, Veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness can have their needs assessed quickly and get connected with personalized housing opportunities and various social services. Standardized assessment tools and practices are used to evaluate the unique needs of each Veteran, which increases access to housing options and supportive services that will fit their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-1ac3d91d\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Guiding principles of CE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>CE creates a standard set of guiding principles so homeless service providers can make consistent decisions about combining their resources and using them effectively when serving the community. By employing uniform processes across the board, the CE system increases accessibility for Veterans and offers them a better-connected network of services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also emphasizes that instead of making a person fit into one program, we as service providers must understand and respond to each Veteran\u2019s individualized needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The CE process includes four core elements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Access<\/strong>&nbsp;is the initial engagement point \u2014 virtual or site-based \u2014 for individuals experiencing homelessness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Assessment<\/strong>&nbsp;is the process of documenting a participant\u2019s housing needs, preferences and vulnerability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prioritization<\/strong>&nbsp;is the process of assigning a level of need or vulnerability to persons seeking assistance so that housing and services can be allocated to those persons with the greatest need.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Referral<\/strong>&nbsp;is matching persons to available community resources, housing and services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Before CE, communities had multiple partners focused on homelessness, doing their best with what was right in front of them regarding resources, staff, and Veterans walking through their doors. But nationally, we realized we could do better by working together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-1ac3d91d\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CE at work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One example of a successful CE system is in the heart of our nation\u2019s capital. CE for Veterans started in Washington, D.C., in 2014 with the help of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/community-partnership.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Community Partnership For the Prevention of Homelessness (TCP)<\/a>, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/washington-dc-health-care\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Washington VA Medical Center<\/a>&nbsp;in Washington, D.C., and other valued partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a coordinated process that ensures that no Veteran slips through the cracks, so Veterans who may not necessarily use VA for services can be engaged and identified in other means,\u201d explained Ilana Marmon, a coordinated entry specialist at the Washington VAMC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Early in their CE development, TCP and VA came up with processes to share information about Veterans experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C., with each other so they could clearly understand what the Veterans\u2019 needs were. This involved understanding the relevant privacy laws and working with privacy experts to ensure that Veterans\u2019 confidential health information was protected, and that the appropriate authorities were invoked when sharing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When TCP or VA became aware of Veterans experiencing homelessness, the Veterans were added to the community\u2019s Veteran By-Name List (VBNL). This comprehensive data source is updated in real time and includes every Veteran experiencing homelessness in each community. The VBNL also helps TCP and VA connect Veterans to outreach teams who help them gather important identifying documents, gauge their interest and eligibility for housing resources, and connect them with temporary and permanent housing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout the process, multiple stakeholders, like TCP, VA, housing providers and other community service providers, discuss and carefully consider the next steps based on the Veterans\u2019 wants and needs, with the end goal being permanent housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe can ensure that those Veterans who may not come directly to VA are still engaged and provided with those services, so we don\u2019t leave them behind,\u201d said Marmon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-1ac3d91d\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Finding success with CE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>CE is doing well in D.C. due to participation from the entire community. Sha-Ron Haddock, former Health Care for Homeless Veterans coordinator with the VA Washington DC Healthcare System, shared that the organizations that are part of the local homeless response system fully embraced a focus on continued improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEverybody was willing to come together at that time \u2014 we wanted something different. What we were doing was working, but everybody was interested in seeing what else we could do,\u201d said Haddock. \u201cI think that\u2019s a testament to the agencies in this area that are willing to partner with VA to do this. I think that made a big difference \u2014 we weren\u2019t resistant to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The community\u2019s data-driven approach is another reason for its success. The data collected allows each partner to understand who is experiencing homelessness, what support they need and the resources available in the system to meet those needs. Data insights also help garner further buy-in and participation from other agencies and organizations. The ability to share data helps each party better locate, engage, and house each Veteran, which is the common goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cQualitative and quantitative data becomes important here as buy-in from key stakeholders, such as case managers, shelter staff, and outreach workers, has helped facilitate Veterans\u2019 overcoming of barriers in the housing process while staying true to the Veterans\u2019 preferences as well,\u201d said Noah Barr, coordinated assessment and housing placement coordinator for Veterans at TCP. \u201cThis is because we believe it\u2019s more than just numbers; Veterans succeed when they are in the place they want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We must remember that there is no end to the ability to improve even the best CE system. Community demographics, resources, funding, and data-sharing opportunities change daily, which means CE practices and protocols must also keep up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VA\u2019s work is never done, and we are eager to create even more progress toward our mission to house every Veteran experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer wp-container-content-1ac3d91d\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"va-body-wrapper wp-block-create-block-body-wrapper\"><div class=\"va-body-wrapper__inner\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group va-section-title va-section-title-1 is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8cf370e7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact VA for help<\/h2>\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #005EA2;\" class=\"wp-block-create-block-colored-spacer has-ff-5500-background-color has-background wp-block-create-block-colored-spacer\"><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>If you are a Veteran who is homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, we strongly encourage you to contact the <strong>National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at <a href=\"tel:+18774243838\">877-424-3838<\/a><\/strong> for assistance.<br><br>The call is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Trained professionals are standing by to connect you to your nearest VA for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-blue-icon-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/homeless\/nationalcallcenter.asp\" rel=\"noopener\">Chat with a live professional now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/homeless\/nationalcallcenter.asp\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1385\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png\" alt=\"National Call Center for Homeless Veterans logo. 877-424-3838\" class=\"wp-image-5628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png 1385w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png?resize=300,130 300w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png?resize=768,333 768w, https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/72\/2026\/08\/NCCHV-Logo-02-Large.png?resize=1024,444 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1385px) 100vw, 1385px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"priority":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-1128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-articles","tag-coordinated-entry"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/department.va.gov\/homeless\/how-coordinated-entry-serves-veterans-experiencing-or-at-risk-of-homelessness\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"How Coordinated Entry Serves Veterans Experiencing or At Risk of 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