The Coordinated Entry System

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

1.1 HUD, CoC, CES

1.2 CAFTH CES Team

1.3 CES Contributor Roles & Responsibilities

2. CES Meetings

2.1 CES By-Name List Meetings

2.2 CES Housing Team Meetings

2.3 CES Meeting Attendance

2.4 AI Note Taking in CES Meetings

3. CES Guiding Principles

3.1 Fair Access

3.2 Housing First Approach

3.3 Low Barrier

3.4 Racial Equity

3.5 Affirmative Marketing

3.6 Non-Discrimination

3.7 Grievance

3.8 CES Evaluation

3.9 Release of Information (ROI)

4. Databases for CES

4.1 Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS)

4.2 Comparable Database (CDB)

4.3 Data Privacy

4.4 Inactive CES Participants

4.5 Non-CDB users Identifying Special Populations person(s)

5. CES Trainings

5.1 New CES Contributor Training

5.2 Routine CES Trainings

6. CES Core Components

6.1 Access

6.2 Assessment

6.3 Prioritization

6.4 Matchmaking

6.5 Client CES Eligibility Documentation

6.6 Supportive 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

7.5 CoC CES Program Transfer

7.6 Rehousing CES Clients

7.7 Eviction

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  

J. CES Grievance Form

K. RRH/PSH Transfer Request Form

2024 CES Policy & Procedure Manual (PDF)

Coordinated Entry Training

If your agency would like to receive access to the Coordinated Entry System, please complete the following training video along with its corresponding quiz. Once the quiz has been completed with 100% accuracy, please reach out to Pamela Saba (pamelan@cafth.org) for next steps.

Coordinated Entry Training Video

Click here to take the quiz.

CES Assessments & Processes

Phased Assessment Approach

Introducing a phased assessment approach was intended to ensure our community practices are trauma-informed. The assessment itself captures only a small amount of data.

The validity of the process relies on those completing the phased assessments to utilize the CES questionnaire as a conversation for the assessor to understand the person(s) circumstances as they relate to their homelessness. 

The information in the questionnaire is essential to move forward. However, CES recognizes NO assessment paints an accurate picture of a human and their circumstances—those additional information points not directly assessed in the CES Questionnaire. Many families’ questionnaires are identical, but their circumstances surrounding their unhoused status differ. 

Therefore, many questions are already and will continue to be asked during By-Name List meetings as we continue to understand better specific circumstances that would make them ‘more vulnerable’ (per Hud, as required). Thus, it is best to help and actively participate in the community collaborative effort to assist those experiencing homelessness.

Without doing our collective best to understand better the circumstances, patterns, and gaps in our community, we are just gathering information without considering the participants are human beings. They should be met with a trauma-informed soft touch.


CES Assessment: 1st Phase 

YHDP Assessment – For youth ONLY (18-24) Including pregnant 7 parenting youth

CES Questionnaire – For everyone except youth


CES Assessment: 2nd Phase 

Memphis Vulnerability Assessment (MVA)

When to do the 2nd Phase Assessment

***ONLY YHDP Navigators complete the MVA for youth***

When completing the CES Questionnaire, you immediately do the 2nd phase assessment if they:

                can meet their Activities for Daily Living (ADLs)

                AND

                Are a Veteran

                Are pregnant

Single parent with 3+ dependents under 6 years old

                Have dependent(s) who have a documented disability

                They are fleeing DV/IPV/Trafficking

If the participant answers NO to the Daily Activities question on the CES Questionnaire, no matter their circumstances, they do not receive a MVA.

If they answer YES to the Daily Activities question and is a veteran, pregnant, family with 3 or more dependents, families who have 2 or more dependents under the age of 10 or any of the dependents have disabilities.

All CES Questionnaire and MVA clients will be reviewed at routine CES meetings.

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:

  1. Recognizing that housing stability is achievable for all—some individuals may need supportive services to sustain their housing.
  2. Promoting health, recovery, and well-being—housing serves as the foundation for these goals.
  3. Removing barriers to housing access—entry requirements, such as sobriety or program participation mandates, are eliminated.
  4. Prioritizing the most vulnerable populations—ensuring that those with the highest needs receive timely and appropriate housing assistance.
  5. Changing mainstream systems—aligning policies and practices to remove obstacles and create pathways to permanent housing.


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