Coordinated Entry and Assessments would operate as a portal of entry process that aims to connect individuals and families who are homeless, or those at imminent risk of becoming homeless, to an existing available shelter/housing resource in the Cabarrus Community. The Cabarrus County Homelessness Task Force and the Cabarrus Housing Collaborative, both stressed the need for a central entry point to eliminate barriers for those in housing crisis.
Some Coordinated Entry Programs use the following definition of homeless. A homeless person is someone:
In a Coordinated Entry system, households experiencing homelessness :
By assessing everyone the same way, the community can be strategic about its limited resources and where resources may need to be redirected or added. Coordinated Entry, however, is not a housing program or a guarantee of shelter or housing.
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, this approach is more efficient because it: