The Coordinated Access, Referral, Entry & Stabilization (CARES) System is the homeless response system and link to housing for people in housing crisis for all of North Dakota and the ten counties in West Central Minnesota. This system was designed to create simplified and clear pathways to housing assistance, shelter, and other resources for those experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis. CARES is an innovative, multi-jurisdictional approach to implementing evidence based best practices, including coordinated entry.

“Coordinated entry is an important process through which people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness can access the crisis response system in a streamlined way, have their strengths and needs quickly assessed, and quickly connect to appropriate, tailored housing and mainstream services within the community or designated region . . . When possible, the assessment provides the ability for households to gain access to the best options to address their needs, incorporating participants’ choice, rather than being evaluated for a single program within the system. The most intensive interventions are prioritized for those with the highest needs.”
- Opening Doors, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness’s (USICH) plan to end homelessness 

The lack of a common coordinated entry system with a standardized assessment created inefficiency and frustration for households experiencing and at-risk of homelessness and for providers of homeless services.

Prior to CARES, families navigated an obstacle course of different phone numbers, agency vacancy protocols, and intake criteria in order to get assistance. Locating resources could be random for the family and did not always lead to the best fit for their needs. It was a stressful process for vulnerable families and especially for families with higher needs (who probably do not fare as well). In the previous system, a homeless family or individual could find shelter in a few days, or it could take weeks or months, depending on who they called, how often they called, and so on.

In addition, system-wide, very little was known about families and individuals that were being turned away or who did not seek services. It was not possible to target resources to program areas based on unduplicated need or demand for services.

More than five years of research and development at multiple sites has culminated in the creation of CARES.

CARESLINK.org
is the official website of CARES.