Access homelessness services

Need to know

Coordinated entry is a centralized process through which people experiencing or at risk of homelessness have their strengths and needs quickly assessed and are connected to appropriate community services.
The purpose of a Coordinated Entry System is to ensure that all people experiencing homelessness have fair and equal access to resources.
Everyone experiencing homelessness in Marin receives the same kind of assessment to determine what kind of support they need.

Before you start

Our Coordinated Entry System is designed to serve individuals and families in Marin County who are experiencing homelessness including those who are:

Unsheltered (e.g., living outside, in a car, on the streets, or in an encampment),
Sheltered (e.g., in emergency shelter or transitional housing), or
Fleeing Domestic Violence (persons fleeing DV are also encouraged to call Center for Domestic Peace Domestic Violence Hotline: (415) 924-6616 (English) or (415) 924-3456 (Spanish)).

Because of federal and state rules defining homelessness, Coordinated Entry housing resources are not available to people who are couch-surfing or living in overcrowded housing.

What to do

The first step in the Coordinated Entry process is an assessment. There are three ways to get assessed:

Phone
- You can make an appointment for an assessment at the phone numbers below
- Single Adults: (415) 473-4663
- Families: (415) 457-2115
Provider Sites
- Increasing numbers of service providers, including shelters, homeless service providers, hospitals, and behavioral health, have been trained to provide assessments
Outreach Teams
- Outreach teams area availiable throughout the county. Some can provide assessments in the field, others will refer you to a Coordinated Entry Provider or Provider Site

What's next

What's next content

After a participant has touched one of our entry points and received an assessment, our Coordinated Entry team, in partnership with service providers across the county, will facilitate match and placement into available permanent housing options using a process to prioritize those with the greatest vulnerability.

The full continuum of our homeless housing and services available through the Marin Coordinated Entry System include:

Emergency Shelter for Families: Short-term, temporary place to stay
Rapid Re-Housing (RRH): Time-limited rental assistance with case management
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH): Long-term housing assistance with services

Get Help

If you have been homeless for two weeks or longer, please call (415) 473-4663 (adults) or (415) 457-2115 (families with children).
If you have been homeless less than two weeks, please contact the St. Vincent de Paul helpdesk at (415) 454-0366 and leave a voicemail
Coordinated Entry is also available by email.