CoC-funded or ESG-funded housing projects serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness should be assigned to their programs through the Coordinated Entry System.

Per HUD’s standard outlined in the CoC program rating and ranking process, 95% of project entries must originate from the Coordinated Entry System. The remaining 5% of project entries must be documented by need and verified with the CES Director.

The Balance of State’s Coordinated Entry System will collaborate through data collected from a series of HMIS outreach and shelter program client data. This includes Regional CES Outreach programs, grant-funded outreach programs (including ESG), and emergency shelter data. 

After the clients are added to the outreach and shelter programs, outreach workers are to add those clients to one of the two designated waitlists:

• Regional Follow-Up Waitlists: Each coalition has a designated waitlist for those who have been engaged in outreach but have refused housing or cannot be located. Clients on this waitlist will continue to be engaged in outreach until they desire housing. When they desire housing, they can be moved to the Housing Waitlists. 
• Regional Housing Waitlists: A designated regional waitlist for those who have been engaged in outreach and are interested in housing—regardless of housing readiness. -Agency staff will continuously case conference the status of assigned clients until housing is achieved.

CES Navigators will assign clients to agency housing projects from the data populated from the Regional Housing Waitlists. The assigned agency will be responsible for removing the client from the housing waitlist and adding the assigned clients into their program.