Coordinated Entry Data Update: July 2025

Last month, Mecklenburg County Community Support Services released two new data pages that provide insights into the local implementation of Coordinated Entry. Coordinated Entry (CE) is the front door to the local homeless response system. It is the primary place where households experiencing a housing crisis seek assistance. CE data helps us understand who is seeking assistance, the types of support and interventions they need, and how those needs change over time.

This blog provides a snapshot of the households who sought assistance via Coordinated Entry during the month of July, their characteristics and needs, and opportunities to strengthen the system to better support the emergent needs of those experiencing housing instability and homelessness in Mecklenburg County.

COORDINATED ENTRY: HOMELESS

In July, 433 people experiencing homelessness were assessed via Coordinated Entry, a 24% increase from June (348).

Disabilities & Income:

• 60% of people reported a disability.
• 47% of adults reported having some form of income, but only 25% reported earned income.

The gap between the number of people reporting disabilities and those receiving disability income suggests a critical need to better connect individuals with disabilities to Social Security disability benefits. Likewise, the low rate of earned income suggests the importance of better integrating employment supports and childcare pathways into the CE referral system.

Household Composition & Population:

• Single adult households: 272 (85%), a 31% increase (+65 people).
• Households with minor children: 46 (14%), a 15% increase (+6 households).
• Multiple adult households: 3 (1%), a 50% decrease (−3 households).
• Chronically homeless: 83 (25%), a 17% increase (+12 people).
• Veterans: 4 (1%), a 69% decrease (−9 veterans).
• Unaccompanied youth: 54 (16%), a 26% increase (+10 youth).
• Older adults (55+): 85 (20%), double last month’s count.

Coordinated Entry assessments among people experiencing homelessness rose sharply in July, driven largely by increases among single adults, youth, and older adults. The increase in the number of older adults entering homelessness is particularly concerning, and points to gaps in senior housing stability and support. In addition, the increase in the number of youth experiencing homelessness who had a CE assessment signals that young people remain highly vulnerable without stable housing.

COORDINATED ENTRY: PREVENTION

In July, the number of people seeking prevention assistance via Coordinated Entry also increased with 228 people seeking prevention assistance, a 34% increase from June (170).

Disabilities & Income:

• 48% of people reported a disability, up 12% from June.
• 59% of adults reported having some form of income, and of those, 68% had employment income.

Compared to those experiencing homelessness and seeking assistance through Coordinated Entry, a higher prevalence of people seeking prevention had employment income. This suggests households seeking prevention assistance are at risk of losing their housing despite having employment income.

Household Composition & Population:

• Single adult households: 82 (64%), a 13% increase from June.
• Households with minor children: Increased from 38 → 43, but their overall share fell (35% vs. 45% last month).
• Chronically homeless: <1% of prevention clients met criteria for chronic homelessness—consistent with past trends and underscoring the distinction between those who need prevention and those who are literally homeless.
• Veterans: The number of veterans seeking prevention assistance remained flat compared to June, reflecting the fact that most veterans seek prevention through VA programs first.
• Unaccompanied youth & older adults: Both groups made up a higher percentage of prevention clients in July, suggesting growing instability across the age spectrum.

The rise in people seeking prevention assistance may serve as an early warning of growing housing instability in Mecklenburg County. The shift from families to single adults and older adults seeking support points to different underlying factors, such as rising rents, fixed incomes that are not keeping pace with housing costs, and a shortage of affordable units in the local market.

CONNECTING THE DOTS: HOMELESSNESS VS. PREVENTION

Looking at both Coordinated Entry dashboards side by side highlights important insights:

• Older Adults: The rising number of older adults seeking both prevention and homeless assistance, signals a system gap. Dedicated interventions such as affordable senior housing and benefit navigation are needed to mitigate this trend.
• Unaccompanied Youth: Increasing numbers of unaccompanied youth seeking prevention and homeless assistance suggests that youth-specific outreach and supports such as direct cash support, housing assistance, and employment support are urgently needed.
• Income: Those already experiencing homelessness are far less likely to report earned income than those seeking prevention resources. These data reinforce the importance of upstream interventions that can stabilize households before they disconnect from the workforce.
• Household Type: Families with minor children remain present in both dashboards, but the recent decline in their share of prevention cases may mean more upstream interventions are needed to stabilize families before they slide into homelessness.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?