1.4 Preventing, Diverting, and Referring: Keys to Successful Front Doors for Families and Youth Speaker: Stephanie Reinauer A strong homelessness system entry point can help some families and youth avoid homelessness or reduce the time they remain homeless by quickly connecting them to the right interventions. This workshop will review the key elements needed to create a successful system entry point. Presenters will discuss the logistics of setting up a successful front door and the outcomes they have achieved as a result of it.

1. Preventing, Diverting, Referring:
Keys to Successful “Front Doors”
2012 National Conference on
Ending Family and Youth Homelessness
February 9th 2012
Stephanie Reinauer, HMIS Coordinator
Whatcom Homeless Service Center

2. Whatcom County, Washington
 Population 201,140 (2010 census)
 Rental vacancy rate 2.2% (fall 2011 WCRER )
 Area Median Income $67,800 (2012 HUD)
2011 PIT Count Sheltered Unsheltered Total
Families with 101 13 114
children
Unaccompanied 4 1 5
youth

3. Whatcom Homeless Service Center Program Diagram
Sun House
Emergency Shelter
Shelter Plus Care
Program
Northwest
Youth
Services
Catholic I-Street
CoServices House
Semmunity Lydia
Services Place
Whatcom
Coordinated entry, intake, Bridge of
and assessment
Homeless
Hope
Service House
Center
Women
Targeted
Care
Homeless
Shelter
Prevention
Veterans
Affairs
Opportunity Supportive
Council Housing
Housing
City Gate
Re-Entry
YWCA
Housing

4. Whatcom Homeless Service Center
 Central hub that serves three consumer groups:
 Homeless clients
 Nonprofit service providers
 Landlords and property managers
 Partnered with Opportunity Council (CAP agency)
 Deployed HMIS

5. Transforming a System:
Before and After
Before After
Fragmented Coordinated
First come first serve Targeted
Competition for resources Partnerships bringing more
resources into community
Measuring program outputs Measuring system outcomes

6. Transforming a System:
Overcoming Challenges
 Giving up control of intake process.
 Saving time on intake and waitlist management.
 Sharing data on clients via HMIS.
 Measuring system-wide outcomes, increasing
collaboration.
 Serving more complex clients.
 Knowing that the neediest are getting help.
 Accommodating different populations.
 Building capacity to serve the under-served.

7. Progress Report
 Increased coordination
 Reduced duplication of services
 Improved access for clients
 Continuing to bring more partners into the system
 Respond quickly to new leveraging opportunities

8. Community Outcomes
1,400
1,250 1,252
1,216 1,196
1,185
1,200
Down 4%
Since 2008
1,000
861 851
Number of persons
800 708 700 Down 18%
649 Since 2008
600
567 Up 24%
477 496 Since 2008
400
389 401
200 Total HUD homeless
Total doubled up
Total population
0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011