CAS Prioritization Schema Update

The Coordinated Access System team would like to provide the community with an update regarding recent changes to the COVID-19 prioritization schema.

Effective 7/5/2023, the Coordinated Entry System Committee Co-Chairs and the CoC Executive Committee voted to amend the COVID-19 prioritization schema to remove the VI-SPDAT scoring process as a prioritization factor for RRH and PSH referrals. The VI-SPDAT is known to cause racial inequities, specifically when determining who gets into PSH and RRH. Removing the VI-SPDAT score will improve housing placements into RRH/ PSH and address racial inequities experienced by BIPOC, thereby supporting our goal of equitably and efficiently prioritizing individuals and families entering the coordinated access system.

The CoC, Racial Equity Committee, and Coordinated Entry System Committee have been tasked with developing a replacement tool for the VI-SPDAT. When/if this tool is adopted, it will replace the VI-SPDAT assessment, and a new prioritization schema will be developed.

Individuals entering the Coordinated Access System will be prioritized based on the following prioritization factors;

1. Age 65+ with or without underlying medical conditions

2. All ages with underlying medical conditions

3. All ages without underlying medical conditions

Tiebreaker (applies to all levels): Length of time homeless (Longest to shortest)