Emergency Shelter Clearinghouse
For the last 20 years, the Council has managed the Emergency Shelter Clearinghouse (ESC). The Clearinghouse Hotline handles the screening and referral process to emergency shelter as a service to the area’s shelters, and refers callers to other resources in Clark County. The Hotline is the one direct service program operated by the Council that provides staff and volunteers with a clear line of communication to the population it serves. Through it, the Council determines trends, recognizes times of crisis, identifies causes of homelessness and recommends appropriate assistance.

One of the advantages of the Clearinghouse system is that because of the Hotline’s intake and referral process, people experiencing homelessness are not required to queue for shelter beds. This is not only a more humane system, but it is a system that supports community livability overall. The statistical information collected during the referral process is distributed to, and compiled in, another program administered by the Council: the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

The services provided by the Clearinghouse continue to evolve to meet changing needs. The Clearinghouse provides not just referral to families and individuals seeking shelter, but also works to solve problems in obtaining housing and other assistance. By networking with local churches, shelters and other providers to assess needs and services, the Clearinghouse acts as an advocate for people who are homeless, predicts trends, and confers with the Coalition of Service Providers for the Homeless (formerly known as the Continuum of Care) to assess needs and make recommendations for future funding.

The Clearinghouse is managed by one full-time Coordinator, and staffed by generous volunteers who collectively donate thousands of hours each year to staff the Hotline. Through them, we expand our relationships with people who are homeless, or "at-risk" of becoming homeless, following them through their experience of emergency shelter, efforts to get or keep housing, use of program services, and assessing advocacy needs. In 2008, the Clearinghouse Hotline received 16,617 calls and helped more than 4,000 clients.

The Clearinghouse is funded by the Clark County/City of Vancouver Human Services Fund, and foundation and donor support. We could not do what we do without the generous support of the community, our volunteers, and our work-study students from Clark College.