Chicago Central Referral System
(CRS)
May 2, 2014
The Source for
Housing Solutions
Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Welcome and Introductions
Background on CSH and Catholic Charities
CRS Overview
Outreach Coordination
Marketing
System Enhancements
Questions
CSH and Catholic Charities
CSH Mission
Advancing housing solutions that:
Improve lives of
vulnerable
people
Maximize public
resources
Build strong,
healthy
communities
Catholic Charities – CRS Managing Entity
Overview of CRS
CRS Purpose
Creation of single point of access for Permanent
Supportive Housing (PSH) and Permanent
Housing with Short Term (PHwSS) Supports to
improve efficiency of the current housing system
through which individuals and families access
housing
Federal Strategic Plan: 2010
4 Key Goals:
1. End chronic homelessness by
2015
2. Prevent and end veteran
homelessness by 2015
3. Prevent and end homelessness
for families, youth and children
by 2020
4. Set path to end all types of
homelessness by 2020
Coordinated Assessment
HEARTH Act: CoC Interim Rule, Section
578.3
“Centralized or coordinated assessment system is
defined to mean a centralized or coordinated process
designed to coordinate program participant intake,
assessment, and provision of referrals. A
centralized or coordinated assessment system covers the
geographic area, is easily accessed by
individuals and families seeking housing or
services, is well advertised, and includes a
comprehensive and standardized assessment tool.”
Plan 2.0: A Home for Everyone
7 Strategic Priorities:
1. Crisis Response System
2. Access to Stable and
Affordable Housing
3. Youth Homelessness
4. Employment
5. Advocacy and Civic
Engagement
6. Cross –System Integration
7. Capacity Building
CRS Task Group Assumptions
 Lessons learned locally and nationally from 100K Homes
Campaign
 Connect the most vulnerable households with the
appropriate housing and services
 Screen in, not out and remove systematic barriers
 Outreach is essential
 Supportive service is critical
 PSH may not be permanent for everyone
 Evolutionary process
Who is Eligible for CRS?
Target Population and Prioritization
 Target Population:
 Meet HUD definition of homeless (Category 1 and 4)
 Income below 60% Area Median Income
 Households will be prioritized by:
 Vulnerability Index Score
 Days homeless
 Date of application
Vulnerability Index – Singles
 More than 6 months street homeless AND at least one of
the following:
 End Stage Renal Disease
 History of Cold Weather Injuries
 Liver Disease or Cirrhosis
 HIV+/AIDS
 Over 60 years old
 3 or more emergency room visits in prior three months
 3 or more ER or hospitalizations in prior year
 Tri-morbid (mentally ill+ abusing substances+ chronic
medical problem)
Vulnerability Index - Families
 Developed in Chicago by CSH in partnership with supportive
housing and family outreach providers
 Identifying and prioritizing families based on:
 Homelessness history:
 length of literal homelessness and
 residential instability
 Involvement with child protective services
 Number of children
 Parental risk factors
 Child risk factors
Essential Elements of CRS
 Tool:
• An on-line application for PSH,
• Connected with database that orders people by vulnerability,
• Is searchable for PSH agencies,
• Is confidential, and
• Has ability to connect to or warehouse client documents needed for the
housing application and interview process.
 Administrator: A Managing Entity to manage the database, handle data
quality and clean-up, manage conflicts of interest
 Coordinated Outreach: An approach to the
system-management that includes coordination of
street outreach teams and staff to personally follow
up with applicants to ensure collection of documents
needed for housing interview
16
Using CRS
Authorized User Agencies
 There will be three levels of access for the interim-CRS:
General Authorized User, Restricted Access Users, and Administrator.
 Administrator: allows access to all information, delete
records, export information, update CHA waiting list status,
and generate reports.
 General Authorized Users (PSH & PHwSS): will run filtered
referral reports on all Applicant types except for the
HIV/AIDS filter.
 Restricted Access Users: allows access to filtered searches for
people with HIV/AIDS.
Timeline For Implementation
 Timeline for system wide implementation of the
CRS:
 50% of all scattered-site and site-based supportive
housing will pull applicants from the CRS by
12/31/13
 100% of all scattered-site and site-based supportive
housing will pull applicants form the CRS by
06/30/14
Login Page
Each User in Authorized User
Agency has own login details
Do not share login details with
anyone else!!
Search Filters
As unit(s) become available, Housing Providers can
search CRS for Applicants meeting unit requirements
based on the following criteria:
 Median Income
 Household Composition
 Gender (Female, Male,
Transgender)
 Age (only sub-category is Youth
18-25)
 HIV/AIDS
 Military/Veteran
 Disabling Condition (presence
of, not specific condition)
 CHA Waiting List (if cross
referenced for CHA list, will
be marked)
 Current Zip Code (agencies
have the option to specify
from a list)
Contacting Applicants
 Housing Providers must notify Applicants of available
unit through the following (where available):
1. Applicant: telephone, email or address
where they can be found
2. Case worker/outreach worker:
telephone, email or agency address
3. Family/friend: telephone or email
Outreach Requirements
 Authorized User Agencies must use the interim-CRS for 30
days (20 business days)
 Authorized User Agencies are asked to make contact
attempts for 10 business days before returning an Applicant
back to the interim-CRS.
 Authorized User Agencies are asked to pull referrals from
the interim-CRS up to two “rounds” before going to the
site-based list.
 A minimum of 3 referrals will be generated for each vacant
unit.
Eligibility Documentation & Program Criteria
 It is for the housing provider to ensure they have all
the correct eligibility documentation from the
applicant
 CRS pre-screens; housing providers are responsible
for their own tenant selection criteria and funder
requirement compliance
Confidentiality Protocols
 CRS Agency MOU
 Authorized User
Confidentiality
Agreement
 Includes adherence
to HIV/AIDS
Confidentiality Act
and IL Domestic
Violence Act
 HIV/AIDS funded
Housing Providers
provided access to filter
for HIV/AIDS only
 Domestic Violence not
filter criteria
Domestic Violence Confidentiality Breach
 Executive Director reports breaches of confidentiality to the Managing
Entity


“If I notice or suspect a security breach, I must immediately notify
the Executive Director of the Agency and the Managing Entity”
“I understand that any violation of this Agreement may also be
considered a violation of my employment relationship with this
Agency, and could result in disciplinary action, up to and including
termination of my employment or affiliation with Agency, as well as
potential personal civil and criminal legal fines and penalties.”
Outreach Coordination
Outreach Coordination
Ellen Ryan
Outreach Coordinator
Center for Housing and Health
eryan@housingforhealth.org
(312) 784-9099
Marketing CRS
System Enhancements
Questions
Today’s Presenters
Lindsey Bishop Gilmore
Senior Program Manager, CSH
Lindsey.bishop@csh.org
Sandra Murray
Director – Homeless Prevention Call Center,
Catholic Charities
slmurray@catholiccharities.net
www.ChicagoCRS.org
Thank You!
CRS Questions:
ChicagoCRS@catholiccharities.net
The Source for
Housing Solutions