Coordinated Entry

 Coordinated Entry.. Unlike the other posts on this site, C.E. is not a "place" but a system. Here's why it's important for you know about it.  If you haven't already noticed, there are a lot of people in Charlotte who are homeless. And there are a lot of organizations who want to help you. So C.E. is a county-wide system to put you on a database to get into one of the many organizations set up to help you. They are all at capacity and have a waiting list to get in. C.E. helps those organizations see your needs and speeds up your entry into their care. You already know that once you become homeless, your life is full of chaos. C.E. is everybody's best effort to minimize that chaos. All these organizations use C.E. and can enter you into it:

• Salvation Army Center of Hope Shelter for Women and Children

(They basically insist on getting a referral from C.E. before admitting you!)

• Men’s Shelter of Charlotte - Roof Above
• Urban Ministry Center - Roof Above 
• Davidson Housing Coalition 
• Mecklenburg County, Veterans Services Office

Here's how it works. If you are homeless or about to be homeless, if at all possible, go out to one of these two county centers below in person. They are open 8a ~ 5p Monday to Friday. You can talk to someone in person there; face-to-face. Or.. you can call 704-284-9665 and a staff member will call you back within a day or two. Of course, you'd need a phone where they can call you back at any time.

The Valerie Woodard Center is at 3205 Freedom Dr. You can take CATS bus #8 from downtown. It runs every 30 minutes.  Here is a map of the location and route. The Woodard Center is huge and can be overwhelming. When you get there, go into Building A. It's the only one that faces Freedom Drive. 

Another location is the Ella Scarborough Center. You can take CATS bus #11 from downtown. It runs every 30 minutes. It's located near the corner of Eastway Drive and North Tryon Street.  There is only one building there.  Here is a map of the location and route. You'll know you're in the right place because you'll see artwork outside the building that's similar to the ones in the picture above.

The best reason to go to either of these centers is that they have many different services to help you and they are all in one place. For example they have services addressing healthcare, jobs, child support and food.

When you get to either of these locations, you will have to take a number and have a short wait to be called to a reception desk. When you get to a receptionist, tell them you are homeless and they will put you with a county "navigator" who  will enter your information in the Coordinated Entry database. After you're entered, they will make a "Clarity" ID card for you.

It'll come in handy at a variety of shelters in Charlotte. And they will help figure out your housing need and make the right connection for you. 

So why go to all this trouble? Once you get entered into C.E. you are definitely in the county's database.  This is so much better than just showing up at a shelter and hoping for the best.  If you need to go to a shelter, they will see that you're already in the database. That will speed up your processing there. Your information in C.E. is very, very confidential. It's not used by DSS, CMPD or ICE! So don't hesitate to get your name on that list!! To be considered homeless, you have to meet one of these conditions:

·  Living in a place not meant for human habitation, or

·  Living in emergency shelter (including domestic violence shelter), or

·  Living in transitional housing, or

·  Exiting an institution where they temporarily resided for up to 90 days (and were in a shelter or a place not meant for human habitation immediately prior to entering that institution), or

·  Likely to meet one of the above definitions within the next 72 hours.

One last thing; if you're a homeless veteran be sure to mention your service. There are some additional resources at VA South Charlotte for vets.