Prince William residents who are homeless or could become homeless have a new resource they can turn to.
The Prince William Area Continuum of Care — which is made up of churches, non-profits, charities and government agencies — have initiated the Coordinated Entry System, according to a release.
The system connects organizations who seek to prevent homelessness or help those who don’t have a home.
Action in Community Through Service (ACTS) a non-profit that offers housing to those who are homeless, will be positively impacted by the system.
“It’s a system we’ve needed for a while,” ACTS CEO Steve Liga told What’s Up Prince William. “Each of the homeless shelters and other providers of homeless services — we all had all of our own forms, our own procedures. The coordinated intake is making it so that everybody’s now on the same page, reading the same forms.”
Additionally, residents will no longer need to call multiple providers when looking for somewhere to stay, according to Prince William County Department of Social Services Director Courtney Tierney.
“This is a coordinated way for us to know what beds are available,” Tierney said in a release. “We know where they are, so it’s one call, and all of that information is available.”
The system may also help those who have eviction notices or are behind on their rent payment.
“If they’re being evicted, maybe we can talk to the landlord,” Tierney said. “It’s not that we have all the answers, but it’s to help a person go through an assessment of what is available and what they need to do to move forward.”
According to Liga, the new process will benefit the homeless and those trying to help them.
“It’s going to be much smoother for the clients,” Liga said. “It’s going to be smoother for the providers.”
To learn more information or speak with a specialist, call 703-792-3366. The Coordinated Entry System is operational every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
