Due to limited shelter capacity, clients are prioritized for shelter resources based on vulnerability factors that make someone more likely to die or experience adverse health outcomes by remaining unsheltered. Each shelter maintains its own eligibility and, in some cases, prioritization factors. This means a client may have multiple spots on the waitlists, and those spots can and often do shift daily. HOWEVER, CAS has developed the extremely vulnerable household (EVH) policy to help CAS Assessors know who is likely to be prioritized for shelter.
A client is considered EVH if they score six or higher or 10 or higher for families on either assessment tool. This represents approximately the top 10% – most vulnerable clients in our community. EVH clients will be prioritized for same-day shelter placement and/or immediate support into available crisis resources. Similarly, EVH clients should be assisted with gathering all necessary documents to become “doc-ready” for CAS-participating housing programs.
Just because a client does not score in the EVH range does not mean they cannot be referred into shelter or housing; it just means they are not “immediately prioritized.”
However, clients scoring near the EVH range have a better chance of being referred than those scoring toward the bottom.
