The Coordinated Entry System
What is the Coordinated Entry System?
The Coordinated Entry System (CES) is a collaborative community response to anyone experiencing homelessness. It provides streamlined and equitable access to housing interventions for people experiencing homelessness in Memphis/Shelby County.
Regardless of where someone first seeks services within the No Wrong Door Approach (NWD) system, access is based on vulnerability, eligibility, and choice. The Memphis/Shelby County Coordinated Entry System has been developed to achieve this goal and to align with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements. HUD guidelines address key components of Coordinated Entry, including how people access the system, the standardized assessment tools used, and how people are prioritized for different types of housing interventions.
The Coordinated Entry (CES) System uses a Housing First approach and has four process components: Access, Assessment, Prioritization, and Matchmaking. CES is a fully integrated crisis response system that prioritizes housing and supportive services for the most vulnerable people, so nobody is left without necessary help.
Coordinated Entry is a systematic response to anyone experiencing homelessness within Memphis and Shelby County. Our Coordinated Entry System was created to identify, assist, house, and prevent homelessness in a swift and efficient manner.
Coordinated Entry System Meetings
CES meetings foster collaboration to streamline housing and service coordination. Below, you can determine which meetings to attend based on your role and involvement in supporting individuals experiencing homelessness.
Property Partners & Housing Support Social
Held on a less-than-quarterly basis, is designed to facilitate networking and collaboration between our partnered providers, landlords, and property owners. It offers a structured environment where providers can engage with landlords and property owners through a Q&A session, addressing shared challenges and opportunities. Additionally, the event features special guest speakers with expertise in affordable housing, providing valuable insights that benefit both service providers and property owners. Ultimately, this gathering strengthens relationships and fosters a more effective partnership to improve housing solutions and outcomes.
Who Should Attend Property Partners & Housing Support Socials?
Landlords, property owners and housing providers who serve the unhoused population.
Memphis/Shelby County Coordinated Entry System Policy & Procedure Manual
CES Policy & Procedure Manual Index
1. Introduction & Overview
1.3 CES Contributor Roles & Responsibilities
2. CES Meetings
2.4 AI Note Taking in CES Meetings
3. CES Guiding Principles
3.9 Release of Information (ROI)
4. Databases for CES
4.1 Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS)
4.5 Non-CDB users Identifying Special Populations person(s)
5. CES Trainings
5.1 New CES Contributor Training
6. CES Core Components
6.5 Client CES Eligibility Documentation
6.7 CoC Housing Types & Components
7. CoC Housing Providers in CES
7.1 Notifications of Vacancies
7.2 Client Choice in Match Making
7.3 Client Population Change Following Match Making
7.4 Declining or Canceling Matches
7.8 CoC Housing Program Termination
APPENDIX
A. HMIS Release of Information (ROI)
B. HUD Homelessness Definitions
C. CES Contributor Confidentiality Agreement
D. CoC Housing Program Internal CES Transfer Form
E. Verification of Disability (VOD) form
F. Verification of Homelessness (VOH) Program/Facility
G. Verification of Homelessness (VOH) Third Party Unsheltered
H. Verification of Homelessness (VOH) Self-Certification
I. CoC Housing Program Termination Form
CES Forms
Decision Tree: Who should be entered into the Coordinated Entry System?
Decision Tree: Determining if the MVA should be administered following the CES Enrollment
CES Checklist: Entering Persons 24 & Older into CES
CES Checklist: Encountering Homeless Youth Checklist
CES Questionnaire (1st Phase of Assessment)
Memphis Vulnerability Assessment (MVA)
Verification of Forms
Verification of Homelessness Third Party Shelter/Facility
Verification of Homelessness Third Party Unsheltered
Verification of Homelessness Self Certification
HUDs Guidance: Chronic Homelessness Status (required for PSH)
VOH: Letter from Emergency Shelter Template
VOH: Letter from Agency/Service Provider Template
CES Housing Provider Forms
CoC Housing Program Internal CES Transfer Form
CoC Housing Program Termination Form
Youth References
Housing First Approach
Housing First is a philosophy and approach that recognizes homelessness can be most effectively ended by providing individuals with immediate access to safe, decent, and affordable housing—without preconditions or barriers. Unlike traditional models that require individuals to engage in treatment or achieve sobriety before obtaining housing, Housing First prioritizes stable housing as the foundation for well-being and recovery.
While supportive services—such as mental health counseling, substance use treatment, and employment support—are valuable, participation in these services is not a requirement to access or maintain housing. Housing First ensures that tenants in supportive housing are treated like any other community members with a lease, without additional conditions such as mandatory service participation. Research has shown that housing stability significantly enhances an individual’s ability to engage with these services voluntarily and successfully.
Why Housing First?
Housing First is a proven, evidence-based method for ending homelessness, particularly for individuals with long histories of homelessness and complex needs, such as psychiatric disabilities or substance use disorders. Studies demonstrate that people struggling with basic survival are less able to focus on other needs until they have stable housing, reinforcing the effectiveness of the Housing First model.
Key benefits of Housing First include:
- Higher housing retention rates compared to traditional models
- Reduced returns to homelessness
- Significant decreases in the use of crisis services, hospitals, and other institutions
- A more effective and humane approach to ending chronic homelessness
Housing First is Not Housing Only
The phrase “Housing First does not mean housing only” underscores the importance of pairing housing with accessible, individualized supportive services. These services—including healthcare, behavioral health support, substance use disorder treatment, and employment or education assistance—should be readily available to those who need and choose them. Without access to both housing and services, a program does not truly embody the Housing First approach.
Housing First as a System-Wide Approach
Housing First is not just a program—it is a system-wide philosophy that should be integrated across all elements of the homelessness response system. A true Housing First approach involves:
- Recognizing that housing stability is achievable for all—some individuals may need supportive services to sustain their housing.
- Promoting health, recovery, and well-being—housing serves as the foundation for these goals.
- Removing barriers to housing access—entry requirements, such as sobriety or program participation mandates, are eliminated.
- Prioritizing the most vulnerable populations—ensuring that those with the highest needs receive timely and appropriate housing assistance.
- Changing mainstream systems—aligning policies and practices to remove obstacles and create pathways to permanent housing.