Hillcrest Transitional Housing

In order to serve those with the greatest need using limited resources, HUD has designated certain categories of homelessness. Most HUD-funded homeless assistance programs are limited to those who are “Literally Homeless” (Category 1) or those who are “Fleeing or attempting to flee Domestic Violence” (Category 4).

• Where did you sleep last night?
• Does that place have an adequate bathroom, an adequate kitchen,
  AND working utilities (water, electric, heat)?

If you are not considered “Literally Homeless”, you may want to seek out privately funded programs that are able to be more flexible in who they consider to be homeless, such as Hillcrest’s 90-day Transitional Housing Program.

A Coordinated Entry (CE) Assessment is a standard set of questions that helps us get a clear picture of your situation. The questions also help to identify certain circumstances that may be a priority to address along with your housing needs. Each region (CoC) decides what set of standard questions they will use, and what situations they want to prioritize within their geographical area.

An assessor will ask questions about:

• Family structure and circumstances
• You and your family’s health and wellness
• Ability or challenges to accessing basic resources (food and water, bathrooms, shower, laundry, medications)
• Vulnerabilities, risks, and dangers (interactions with crisis and emergency services)
• Up to 3 years of housing history (who stayed where, number of times homeless)
• Barriers you may have to getting into your own housing or keeping that housing

Some questions are very personal and may make you feel uncomfortable. That’s ok – you have the option to skip most questions. However, being as honest as you feel you’re able will help us to understand your circumstances more fully and better address your unique situation. An assessor will always treat you with dignity and respect.

Coordinated Entry is an “Entry Door” into several programs. The styles of housing available depend on which program has openings, and which programs you’re eligible to be referred to. (For example, some programs may only accept Youth or Veterans.)

CE’s goal is to get you into permanent housing of your own choice. Some agencies own their own apartments (short-term Transitional Housing programs, Public Housing projects), but many programs provide assistance for you to get into your own rental with your own lease. That can be apartments, houses, duplexes, or mobile homes. There are some limits, with the goal of making sure your housing is affordable for you in the long term. Different programs have different requirements, so ask for details when you get referred to a case manager with a specific housing assistance program.

There is no easy answer for this. The wait to be referred could be as short as a week, or as long as several months. Coordinated Entry does not use a waiting list with fixed or estimated times, but a Prioritization List. Someone who’s been staying in their car for a year may come into the List higher than someone who just got evicted last week. The different CoC regions may also prioritize the same set of circumstances in different ways, and that mix can change over time.

Completing an assessment for Coordinated Entry is NOT a guarantee that you’ll get into a housing assistance program. Being referred to a housing program is NOT a guarantee that you’ll get into housing. While we do try to work with as many people as possible, we also recommend you keep looking for solutions and programs while you’re waiting.

The wait to be referred to a program with an opening can vary widely depending on your circumstances, how many households are seeking assistance, and how often programs have openings.