Coordinated Assessment and Referral System (CARS)

The Coordinated Assessment and Referral System (CARS), also known as the Coordinated Entry System (CES), is designed to match people experiencing homelessness to the community resources that best fit their situation. Individuals and families experiencing homelessness can complete a standard triage assessment at any participating agency to be added to the centralized community queue. Once in the community queue, individuals will be referred to the most appropriate types of intervention for their household. When participating programs do not have enough space to accept all clients matched with their program, people are prioritized for services based on need.

Unfortunately, we cannot tell individuals what their position on the community queue is or how long it will take before they are selected. An individual’s position on the queue is influenced by various factors that may move their “position” up and down throughout the day.

There is a list of CARS participating agencies where individuals and families can access the system. This list includes shelters, service centers, transitional housing programs, permanent housing programs, outreach programs, hospitals, jails, public services offices, faith-based organizations, and emergency/crisis support groups. Using a decentralized, “any door” model of access, people are not required to travel long distances seeking services at every agency individually, making a more equitable and accessible system. A full list of agencies where CARS can be accessed can be found in the section below.