Formerly the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness
Formerly the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness
KHC coordinates the system that responds to homelessness in Kent County. That means running the front door people come through, convening the committees where decisions get made, keeping the shared data honest, and moving federal funding to the partners doing the work.
Coordinated Entry is the single front door into Kent County’s housing services. Rather than navigating a complex network of programs independently, people seeking resources complete one assessment form and may be connected to a housing resource based on their individualized situations and needs.
The assessment form is found through Community Housing Connect, an online portal that works on phones, tablets, and computers. Partner agencies across the county can also help people complete the assessment in person or over the phone. To ensure the process remains fair and consistent for the people it serves, KHC manages and updates the policies and standards of the Coordinated Entry process behind the scenes.
What partner agencies need to know about receiving referrals through Coordinated Entry.
Housing providers receiving referrals from CE provide a vital service for the community by providing housing and supportive services to those experiencing homelessness. CE matches households to these resources based on vulnerability and eligibility. All households referred to a resource are expected to receive services from that resource to quickly resolve their episode of homelessness.
The Coalition’s Referral Service Standards (linked below) spell out requirements of all agencies receiving referrals from CE. These include:
Agencies interested in utilizing CE for referrals should start by contacting the CE Program Manager for information on requirements and next steps.
Agencies already receiving referrals can set up a new project after their project page has been set up in HMIS by providing a cover sheet that describes the project and participant eligibility criteria.
Participants are enrolled in CE after completing an housing assessment which considers vulnerability factors as well as basic eligibility criteria. When a resource becomes available, those with an assessment in the last 90 days are considered based on both prioritization and project-specific eligibility requirements like income requirements, household size, veteran status.
Households prioritized for a resource are typically contacted to confirm self-reported eligibility and interest in the available resource(s). If screened as eligible and interested, CE refers the household to the housing provider via HMIS and includes a cover sheet with contact information.
From there, the provider is expected to contact the household within 5 business days (ideally within 2), to schedule an initial conversation. This conversation should include a comprehensive overview of the program, services provided, and participant expectations along with information on documents required to complete program intake (homeless verification, vital documents, etc.). Initial appointment and intake should happen as quickly as possible to reduce the length of time a household is experiencing homelessness.
CE fills openings as quickly as possible and agencies can expect to receive referrals within 1 to 5 business days of submitting openings.
CE makes every effort to ensure households referred to a resource are eligible for and interested in that resource to maintain a low number of declined resources. An agency may decline a referral if a participant is deemed ineligible, the household chooses not to move forward with the program, or after 3 or more unsuccessful contact attempts.
Denials must be communicated to the participant as well as documented within HMIS.
A denial from a project will not impact a participant’s ability to be referred to a different resource, if they are prioritized and eligible.
The Kent Homelessness Coalition and Coordinated Entry Committee oversee implementation of CE processes. Each CE-participating provider agency must make a good faith effort to resolve a CE-related consumer grievance as best they can at the moment. If resolution cannot be reached, participants or agencies can complete the below form to submit a grievance. Note that grievances will only be addressed if they are specific to Coordinated Entry-related policies, decisions, services, or activities within the last six months. In the event a grievance is received regarding an agency’s internal policies, services or activities, the grievance will be referred to the appropriate agency for resolution under that agency’s grievance policy.
The system’s decisions are not made behind closed doors. They are made in committees, by members, in meetings open to the public. Each committee owns a piece of how the system runs.
The main assembly for all KHC members to hear updates from stakeholders and committees, to discuss challenges and opportunities for the homelessness response system, and to identify action needed from membership.
Interested in joining a committee? Contact khc@hwmuw.org.
The Homeless Management Information System, or HMIS, is the secure, confidential database that Kent County’s housing and service providers share. HMIS is how Kent County keeps track of homelessness as a community-wide problem, not just a series of individual cases. It’s the shared system that lets shelters, housing programs, and service providers see the full picture together – who’s being helped, what’s working, and where the gaps are.
KHC manages this system on behalf of Kent County: administering access, setting the standards for how data is collected, training the staff who use it, and turning data into the reports that guide funding, shape policy, and inform HUD.
Much of the housing that ends homelessness in Kent County is paid for through federal funding, and Kent Homelessness Coalition is the entity responsible for securing and administering those resources locally.
Federal and state dollars come to the community through KHC’s coordination, then out to partner agencies as project funding. Partners must demonstrate effectiveness through project outcomes, which strengthens the community’s next application. Positive outcomes fund more housing.
KHC manages the community’s collaborative application to HUD for Continuum of Care Program funds. Partner agencies apply locally through KHC, projects are ranked by the Funding Review Committee, and funding is competitively awarded. KHC submits one comprehensive application on behalf of all funded projects to secure the maximum available dollars for Kent County.
KHC administers Kent County’s allocation of State of Michigan ESG funds, which support Street Outreach, Homelessness Prevention, and Rapid Re-housing. Partner agencies apply through KCH and projects are ranked and awarded after review by Funding Review Committee.
Coordinating a system takes a plan. KHC operates against a clear set of goals with defined priorities and timelines, reviewed and updated with the membership.
Our 2026 Strategic Plan will be available soon.