Coordinated Entry
Coordinated entry is a consistent, community-wide intake process to match people experiencing homelessness to existing community resources that are best fit for their situation. Santa Clara County has been using coordinated entry for a few years for permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing programs. Now, we are in the process of expanding coordinated entry to shelter and transitional housing programs as well.
In Santa Clara County’s coordinated entry system, all homeless people complete a standard assessment tool (the Vulnerability Index-Service Prioritization Decision Assessment Tool or VI-SPDAT) that considers the household’s situation and identifies the best type of housing intervention to address their situation. A community queue of eligible households is generated from the standard assessment. The community queue is used to fill spaces in the permanent housing programs, including permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing, in the County. This coordinated process reduces the need for people to traverse the county seeking assistance at every service provider separately.
If you are homeless and want to get assessed, you can visit any of the Santa Clara County access points.
Coordinated Entry Documents
- Coordinated Entry Guidelines on how to participate in the system
- FAQs – Client Handout in English
- FAQs – Client Handout in Spanish
- FAQs – Client Handout in Vietnamese
- FAQ for Providers who administer the VI-SPDAT
- FAQ for Service Providers who do not administer the VI-SPDAT
- FAQ for Victim Service Providers (VSPs) who administer the VI-SPDAT
- When should I do a VI-SPDAT?
- Standard Location Practices for Community Queue Referral