Consultant Services to Evaluate and Implement Improvement to the Coordinated Entry System

Pierce County, as the Collaborative Applicant of the Tacoma/Lakewood/Pierce County Continuum of Care, is seeking a consultant to evaluate the effectiveness and equity of the Coordinated Entry system, specifically the prioritization tool used to assess and determine eligibility of individuals seeking temporary and permanent housing referrals. The work will include evaluating efficacy, equity, and effectiveness of the current system. The aim of this project is to evaluate the tool to determine if disparities exist for the people it serves, develop strategies to address the disparities, and implement the changes. The tool must deliver equitable services and prioritize people based on the highest vulnerabilities or scores. The selected consultant will evaluate the tool and make recommendations for improvements.

The goal is to create a system which serves the individualized needs of each person.

The Pierce County Human Services department, specifically the Homeless Services team, is responsible for ensuring the delivery of homeless and housing services to the residents of Pierce County who are experiencing homelessness. The team delivers services relating to Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Safe Parking, Coordinated Entry, Rapid Rehousing, Permanent Supportive Housing and Transitional Housing. The Departments website is a valuable resource for information about the many services provided. Please access the website at www.piercecountywa.org/hs

In August of 2024, The Tacoma Lakewood Pierce County Continuum of Care (CoC) voted to conduct an evaluation of the Pierce County Coordinated Entry (CE) system to identify whether disparities exist for marginalized populations. The CoC voted to approve the 2025 CoC planning budget in November of 2024 which provides funding necessary to carry out the work.

The Pierce County Coordinated Entry system is the 'front door' to the Homeless Crisis Response system. The CE system served over 9,900 people in 2023 and is the primary mechanism for homeless households to receive housing program referrals in Pierce County. The CE system requires that all people entering must complete an assessment to determine eligibility to be referred to a housing program. Part of the assessment is a score which determines where the individual will be placed on the prioritization list. The score is calculated using a prioritization tool.