Coordinated Access in Multnomah County

The intent of Coordinated Access is to provide streamlined and equitable access to shelter and housing interventions for people experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County. Regardless of where someone first seeks services, access is based on vulnerability, eligibility, and choice. Coordinated Access systems across the country have been developed to achieve this goal, and to align with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements.

There are local Coordinated Access processes in place for four sub-populations of people experiencing homelessness: adults unaccompanied by minor children, families with minor children, unaccompanied youth, and households fleeing domestic violence. There is also a process in place to rapidly connect Veterans experiencing homelessness to housing and support services through the Veteran By-Name List. Households may be eligible for resources through more than one of these processes. You can find a general overview of these processes and how to access them here: Overview of Coordinated Access in Multnomah County. Please see below for more detailed information and related resources.

Coordinated Access Guidelines

The Coordinated Access Guidelines address key components of Coordinated Access including how people access the system, the standardized assessment tools used, and how people are prioritized for different types of housing interventions. Locally, we have Coordinated Access subsystems in place for adults unaccompanied by minor children, families with minor children, unaccompanied youth, and households fleeing domestic violence. The leadership teams for each of these subsystems have undergone years of iterative planning, evaluation, and process improvement. The intent of these guidelines is to reflect Coordinated Access as it is today, and to serve as a working document that we can update as needed to reflect process improvements. 

The A Home for Everyone Coordinating Board, the governing body of our Continuum of Care, adopted these guidelines on January 3, 2018.

Accompanying Documents

The following documents are referenced within the Coordinated Access Guidelines

COORDINATED ACCESS FOR ADULTS

OVERVIEW

Coordinated Access for Adults coordinates access to federally funded recovery-oriented transitional housing, rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing. "Adults" include unaccompanied adults (age 18 and over), adults in couples, and households with adult dependents (age 18 or over). 

ACCESS

Staff at organizations across the community are trained to conduct the Coordinated Access for Adults Assessment. The main point of access for adult households not already connected to one of these organizations is the Coordinated Housing Assessment Team ([email protected], 844-765-9384 or [email protected]/503-280-2600 x 654 for a culturally specific assessment). 

Resources for Providers

The Coordinated Access for Adults assessment tool and Release of Information is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese. You can find these and other resources linked below. 

Assessment Tool

Release of Information

Other Resources

Coordinated Access for Families

OVERVIEW

Coordinated Access for Families coordinates access to emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. “Families” include adults accompanied by minor children (under age 18).

ACCESS

Staff at organizations that are part of the Mobile Housing Team (MHT) are trained to conduct the Coordinated Access for Families Assessment. Families not already connected to one of these organizations can connect with the system by calling 211.   

Resources for Providers

The Coordinated Access for Families assessment tool and Release of Information is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese. You can find these and other resources linked below. 

Assessment Tool

Release of Information

Other Resources

Coordinated Access for Unaccompanied Youth

OVERVIEW

Coordinated Access for Unaccompanied Youth coordinates access to emergency shelter, short term shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, and support services. "Unaccompanied Youth" include those under the age of 25.

ACCESS

The main point of access is Janus Youth through the Access Center (1635 SW Alder St, 503-432-3986) and through mobile outreach. 

Coordinated Access for Households Fleeing Domestic Violence 

OVERVIEW

Coordinated Access for Households Fleeing Domestic Violence coordinates access to emergency shelter, motel vouchers, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. 

ACCESS

The main points of access are Call to Safety - formerly the Portland Women's Crisis Line (503-235-5333) or, for Spanish, Project UNICA (503-232-4448). 

Veterans

OVERVIEW

The Veteran By-Name List is used to rapidly connect Veterans experiencing homelessness to shelter and housing resources including Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, Rapid Re-Housing and Permanent Supportive Housing. "Veterans" include anyone who’s ever served in the US Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard) or been called into active duty by the National Guard or as a Reservist, regardless of discharge status.

ACCESS

The main points of access are the online SSVF Pre-Screening Form, Veteran Services Hotline (855-425-5544), Transition Projects Day Center (650 NW Irving St, 503-280-4700), and VA Community Resource and Referral Center (308 SW 1st Ave, 503-808-1256 or 800-949-1004 ext. 51256). 

Resources for Providers

Coordinated Access Release of Information is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese. You can find these and other resources linked below. 

Release of Information

Two ROIs are required for the Veteran By-Name List: the Coordinated Access ROI, and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) ROI. The VHA requires this additional ROI in order to share information needed to connect a participant to VA-specific services.