Coordinated Access And Assessment

Introduction

Coordinated Access and Assessment (CAA) is Calgary’s standardized, system‑wide process for connecting people experiencing homelessness to housing and support services. Rather than requiring individuals to navigate multiple programs on their own, CAA provides a single, coordinated pathway into the Homeless‑Serving System of Care.

Through a shared process and common assessment approach, individuals are connected to prevention, diversion, housing, and support resources based on their unique needs, strengths, and circumstances. CAA helps ensure that available services are matched as fairly and consistently as possible, with priority given to those experiencing the greatest barriers to housing stability.

CAA and the Calgary Homeless Foundation 

Calgary Homeless Foundation (CHF) works with government, community partners, and service providers to strengthen the Homeless‑Serving System of Care. While homelessness is shaped by broader factors such as housing availability, economic conditions, and public policy, CAA focuses on ensuring that individuals can quickly access the right supports to end their experience of homelessness.

CAA acts as the coordinated entry point into supportive housing programs funded through CHF. Because demand for housing exceeds available program spaces, CAA uses a structured and consistent process to assess needs and prioritize access to those supports.

How CAA Works 

CAA brings together agencies across the system through a shared approach to assessment, referral, and placement.

At the centre of this process is the Coordinated Entry Tool (CET) — a standardized, system‑wide tool used to guide conversations, identify participant needs, and support prioritization and matching to programs.

The CET: 

  • Supports trauma‑informed, culturally responsive conversations 
  • Helps identify the level and type of support a participant may require 
  • Provides consistent information to guide referrals and placement decisions
  • Emphasizes qualitative, relational understanding rather than numeric scoring 

Using CET, participants may be: 

  • Connected to prevention or diversion supports 
  • Referred to community services
  • Considered for placement in supportive housing programs 

Placement decisions are made through collaborative placement committees, where partners review available spaces and match participants based on needs, program fit, chronicity of homelessness, and participant choice.

Why CAA Matters

CAA strengthens Calgary’s homelessness response by:

  • Creating a single, coordinated pathway into services 
  • Reducing the need for individuals to navigate multiple programs or repeat their story
  • Supporting fair and consistent prioritization across the system
  • Improving coordination between service providers
  • Providing early access to prevention and diversion supports
  • Collecting standardized data to inform system planning and continuous improvement 

By bringing programs together through a shared process, CAA helps ensure that people experiencing homelessness can access the right supports at the right time, while making the system more effective, transparent, and responsive. 

Access and Participation 

CAA is designed to be low‑barrier and accessible, with multiple entry points across the city, including: 

  • Door agencies with trained Housing Strategists 
  • The CAA team at SORCe
  • Referrals from community partners and system providers
  • Outreach and mobile services

Participation in CAA is voluntary, and participants can choose to disengage at any point.