In San Diego, non-profit groups and other community members helping the homeless will soon use the same system to track and coordinate care.
The City Council allocated $400,000 as a one-time expense to connect all homeless care providers across the county into one database to establish Homeless Management Information System.
By converting to Service Point, a software used currently by many homeless service providers, anyone offering care to homeless individuals can work together to streamline getting those in need to the right services.
“I hope I get a bed soon,” said Daniel Medrano who has been without a home for two months. He was waiting in line outside Father Joe's Villages wearing flip flops and carrying a skateboard.
The young man who was picked up from a makeshift home at the Imperial Beach Pier said it's been difficult to get assistance.
Morris Jackson holds a part-time job and stays in his sister’s living room for now. He said he’s experienced issues with some assistance programs because he’s dropped to the bottom of waiting lists without warning.
“At first it seemed like there was no hope but now, with this program that they’re doing, it sounds like there’s hope because everyone is going to keep connected,” Jackson said.
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One staffer at Father Joe's Villages said it's been a process getting used to Service Point, a new system for the largest homeless facility in San Diego.
However, she told NBC 7 she believes it will help the shelter see clients in a more holistic way.
Bill Bolstad, Vice President of Capital Development, said the process of shopping local shelters to help place someone in a bed can be time consuming.
"This is taking what could be 25 phone calls to making it one click," Bolstad said.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer called the move essential to inform city leaders how to best allocate future resources.
Two other large homeless shelters, Episcopal Community Services and Veterans Village of San Diego, were using other software before transitioning to the Service Point system as part of the project.
All providers are expected to be using the same system by June 30, the end of the current fiscal year.
