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Coordinated Entry Grievance Policy
Alameda County Homelessness Response System
First approved/Effective Date April 14, 2021
Last reviewed/Last revised May 14, 2025
Author of policy/ policy revision Housing and Homelessness Services (formerly Office of
Homeless Care and Coordination)
Approved by Outreach Access and Coordination Committee
Next review by May 14, 2026
1. Introduction
This document provides policies and procedures for Alameda County’s Coordinated Entry Access Points
and Housing and Homelessness Services (H&H) to ensure that any participant may submit a grievance,
receive a response and, if necessary, appeal the response related to the provision of Coordinated Entry
and Housing Problem Solving services in a consistent, fair and standard manner. This policy also covers
requirements for tracking and reporting on grievances and appeals.
2. Definitions
Access Point - Access Points are the physical, mobile, or virtual entry points where a person or
household experiencing homelessness may receive Coordinated Entry Services including Housing
Problem Solving, assessment, links to Navigation and connection to a wide variety of other services.
Appeal – an appeal is the elevation of a grievance to H&H for review by a participant who is dissatisfied
with the response to their initial grievance.
Coordinated Entry – The Coordinated Entry process is an approach to coordination and management of
the crisis response system’s resources that allows users to make equity consistent decisions from
available information to connect people efficiently and effectively to interventions that will end their
homelessness. Coordinated Entry consists of four components: access, assessment, prioritization, and
referral.
Grievance – a grievance is an expression of dissatisfaction with any aspect of the Housing Problem
Solving or Coordinated Entry process. A grievance may, but does not necessarily, allege a failure to
follow the prescribed policies, procedures, and practices of Housing Problem Solving and of Coordinated
Entry in a consistent and non-discriminatory manner resulting in a negative impact on a participant or
potential participant.
Housing Problem Solving - Housing Problem Solving is both a practice and a system intervention that
works with a participant who is experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness to
identify options for self-help to resolve the housing crisis without the need for ongoing support from the
Housing Crisis Response System.
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Housing Resource Center (HRC) – a Coordinated Entry Access Point that provides Housing Problem
Solving and Coordinated Entry Services in a particular geography. May serve one or more
subpopulations.
Investigation - an investigation is the process which may be undertaken by H&H to review a grievance
and the result or resolution by an Access Point if a participant appeals a grievance. The investigation may
cover both how the grievance was handled and the resolution.
Non-discrimination – the requirement to ensure that Coordinated Entry is available to all eligible persons
and administered without discrimination based on race, color, religion, nation origin, sex, age, familial
status, disability, actual or perceived sexual orientation or marital status. This includes requirements to
comply all applicable civil rights and fair housing laws and requirements.
Participant – a person who for themselves, or on behalf of a household experiencing homelessness,
receives services from the Coordinated Entry system.
Potential Participant – a person who for themselves, or on behalf of a household experiencing
homelessness, seeks services from the Coordinated Entry system.
3. Policy Scope
This Policy applies to all Access Point providers of Housing Problem Solving and Coordinated Entry
services including Housing Resource Centers and outreach providers, and covers all populations served
with Coordinated Entry.
It operationalizes requirements in the CPD-17-01 Notice Establishing Additional Requirements for a
Continuum of Care Centralized or Coordinated Access System and relies on additional guidance in the
Coordinated Entry Core Elements guidebook and the Outlines for a Continuum of Care’s Coordinated
Entry “Policies and Procedures” Document.
4. Policy Language
4.1 Purpose
This policy is intended to ensure that participants and potential participants in Coordinated Entry
services, including Access, Housing Problem Solving, Assessment, Prioritization or Referral have a
consistent and clear ability to file a grievance, receive a response and, if necessary, appeal any aspect of
their experience or treatment in a similar manner and timeframe, regardless of where or from what
Access Point they receive services.
4.2 Policy
Access Point providers may and should follow their own agency or program procedures for receiving and
responding to grievances related to the delivery of Housing Problem Solving and Coordinated Entry
services, provided that the applicable procedures:
• are clearly stated and made available to all participants and potential participants;
• allow the participant to file their grievance and have it reviewed or heard by someone who is
not the person with whom they have had the experience they are grieving; the person reviewing
the grievance and making the determination must be at a higher level within the organization;
• allows participants to receive assistance in making their grievance known including reasonable
accommodation;
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• include the ability to have an advocate at any meeting or hearing;
• provide for a written response with a determination about the actions alleged and a proposed
resolution if warranted, within a set and reasonable period of time, not later than 14 days from
receipt of the grievance.
Any participant or potential participant who is dissatisfied with the handling or response to their
grievance may appeal to Alameda County Health’s Housing and Homelessness Services, serving as the
Management Entity for Coordinated Entry.
Discrimination complaints can also be directed to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Access Points and H&H shall keep a log of all grievances received, according to the procedures set out
below. H&H will review these logs and the process not less than annually and use the information to
recommend refinements and improvements in the process and delivery of services.
5. Procedure
5.1 All Access Points will provide participants and potential participants with information about
how they may file a grievance. This information should be made available at time of
enrollment or of being denied enrollment in Coordinated Entry or Housing Problem Solving
and should also be posted prominently at the Access Point location if the location is
physical.
5.2 Access Points will follow their procedures and document the results of any grievances
received and actions taken in accordance with their internal procedures and supervision,
provide these reflect the above required elements in 4.2.
5.3 Access Points will notify participants and potential participants at the time of their final
response that if they are dissatisfied with the result they may appeal by contacting H&H by
phone, mail, or email. H&H will provide contact information to all Access Points to enact this
policy. Access Points must also inform participants and potential participants that they may
file a discrimination complaint directly with HUD.
5.4 H&H will respond to all appeals within 10 business days and will provide participants with a
finding as to whether the process was duly followed and concluded and no appeal is
appropriate, or whether there will be an investigation.
5.5 H&H may consult with Access Points as they investigate and Access Points will share with
H&H any information they have collected regarding the grievance and will participate in any
hearings or meetings called to review the result.
5.6 H&H will provide a written determination of whether the grievance was appropriately
handled and responded to and will either uphold the Access Point determination or initiate
an investigation which may result in a upholding the determination or issuing a different
decision and proposed resolution.
5.7 Access Points and H&H will maintain a log of all complaints or grievances received regarding
any aspect of Problem Solving or Coordinated Entry. This log must at minimum record:
a. When the grievance was first received;
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b. the primary concern or topic raised in the grievance and which aspect of
Coordinated Entry (Access, Housing Problem Solving, Assessment,
Prioritization, Referral or something else) the participant was concerned with;
c. whether the grievance included a concern regarding of discrimination, and what type of
discrimination was cited.
d. when it was responded to;
e. what finding was made and what action was taken.
5.8 The Access Point log should be kept updated, with each step recorded within 48 hours of its
conclusion. H&H may request to review the log at any time and will review not less than
annually as part of the Coordinated Entry evaluation and policy review process.
6. Policy Location
This Policy will be maintained by H&H on a publicly accessible website. Access Point providers should
make the policy available to participants and other interested parties.
7. References, Related Resources, or Appendices
The HUD office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity online complaint portal
https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/online-complaint