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Glossary of Terms <br />By-Name [ist: A real-time, person-specific record of individuals experiencing homelessness in a community. Each <br />entry includes key details such as housing status, service needs, and contact information. These lists help service <br />providers coordinate care, prioritize resources, and track progress toward housing outcomes. <br />Coordinated Entry (CE): A standardized process that helps communities assess, prioritize, and connect people <br />experiencing homelessness to appropriate housing and services. lt simplifies access, reduces duplicafion, and <br />ensures those with the greatest need are served first. <br />Diversion: A strategy that helps people avoid entering the homeless system by resolving their housing crisis quickly, <br />often through conflict mediation, reconnection with family, or one-time financial support. lt reduces shelter demand, <br />shortens time spent unhoused, and ensures crisis resources go to those with no alternatives. <br />Emergency Housing Assistance: Short-term housing with minimal barriers, designed to provide immediate shelter <br />for people experiencing homelessness while they seek permanent housing. <br />Functional Zero: The point when the number of people experiencing homelessness at any time is no greater than <br />the community's proven capacity to quickly house them with appropriate, long-term support. <br />Homelessnessr The lack of a fixed, regular; and adequate nightlime residence. lt includes people who: <br />. Sleep in places not meant for habitation (cars, parks, abandoned buildings) <br />. Stay in emergency shelters or transitional housing. <br />o Flee domestic violence or unsafe conditions without stable housing. <br />r Youth or young adults who rely on temporary arrangements like "couch-surfing" without a permanent <br />home. <br />Homeless Management lnformation System (HMl5): A shared database used by service providers to track client <br />data and service use. HMIS enables coordination among providers, accurate reporting, and data-driven funding and <br />planning. High utilization improves system performance and accountability. <br />Housing instability: The condition of being at risk of losing safe and adequate housing. lt includes people who: <br />r Face eviction, foreclosure, or loss of housing <br />r Struggle to pay rent, utilities, or other basic housing costs. <br />c Move frequently or rely on short-term, unstable housing. <br />o Live in overcrowded or unsafe conditions that threaten long-term stability. <br />Permanent Supportive Housing {PSH): Long-term affordable housing with optional support services for people with <br />chronic homelessness or high housing barriers. <br />Point-in-Time (PlT) Count: A survey conducted on a single day each January that records the number of people <br />experiencing homelessness, both sheltered and unsheltered. lt is used to track trends, guide planning, and meet <br />federal reporting requ irements. <br />Unsheltered Homelessness: lncludes people who sleep in places not meant for habitation (cars, parks, abandoned <br />buildings). This is known to lead to increased risk of illness, violence, and long-term instability. <br />Page | 5