Tacoma is putting together a list of everyone experiencing homelessness. Why does it matter?
As part of its response to the homelessness crisis, the City of Tacoma is preparing a “by-name” list of everyone experiencing homelessness. But what is a by-name list, what does it do, and why is it important?
Caleb Carbone is the homeless strategy, systems and services manager with the City of Tacoma’s Neighborhood and Community Services Department.
During a Dec. 10 city council study session, Carbone briefed the council on the plans to create a by-name list. He said the list would include everyone in the City of Tacoma who was staying in a shelter, working with an outreach specialist, or at any point utilized services from organizations that are part of the homelessness response system.
Linda Robson, a spokesperson for the city, told The News Tribune individuals on the list who have not had contact with any service providers or shelter for six months to a year will be tagged as “inactive” and their data will be archived.
“Information sharing outside of the City organization is only with service providers that are directly involved in individual case consultation as needed,” Robson told The News Tribune when asked about the city’s data-sharing policies. “That said, the City works closely with Pierce County and regional service providers on the issue of homelessness, and sharing data analysis reports and broad data trends with Pierce County on a case-by-case basis is something we would consider.”
When asked about privacy policies the city will have in regards to the by-name list, she said the list is an internal tracking and analysis tool that will not be shared publicly outside of our contracted providers.
Individuals who have contact with any of these parts of the system have their personal data collected and that data makes up the by-name list.
“The challenge we are currently working on is to help support all of our providers with utilizing a by-name list and how to track effectively the most up-to-date data,” Carbone told the council during the Dec. 10 study session.
Carbone told The News Tribune in an interview the by-name list will be used to collect demographic data on those experiencing homelessness by collecting the names, ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds of those experiencing homelessness in Tacoma. He said it will also track what resources each individual needs as well as how long they have been on the list.
“It will help us get an exact number of those who are experiencing homelessness, as well as help us understand their needs,” Carbone told The News Tribune.
He also told The News Tribune the demographic data provided by the list will help the city understand what equity issues exist and how different demographics are able to access services.
Carbone told the council that the by-name list is a tool that is aligned with the city’s desire to utilize data-driven solutions to homelessness and is necessary to achieve the goal of reaching “functional zero.”
“Functional zero” is defined in the city’s homelessness strategy as a state where those in the community experiencing homelessness or entering homelessness, do so, “in a short episode and are able to access shelter, services, and a pathway towards stable permanent housing.”
“It is updated consistently and we can use that data to help inform decisions and adapt services, and responses as the need to address growing concerns may arise,” Carbone told the council.
While the City of Tacoma, just recently announced it will begin compiling its by-name list, Pierce County already manages two lists — one of every known veteran who is experiencing homelessness or has utilized related services and one which aims to keep track of every youth who is experiencing homelessness.
Devon Isakson is the social service supervisor for Pierce County’s Human Services Department, the agency that helps manage the lists.
In an interview with The News Tribune, Isakson said the by-name lists are considered a “national best practice” for regional homelessness response and allows for service providers and decision-makers to “see the problem as it exists.”
She said the lists are updated on a daily basis as folks have contact with different service providers and part of the homelessness response system. She said it also allows for better case management as individuals on the list can be contacted by service providers and followed up with.
Robert Sheetz helps to manage the veterans by-name list for the county, a list that has existed for almost a decade.
In an interview with The News Tribune, Sheetz said the list allows service providers to engage with individuals experiencing homelessness one at a time to ensure they are getting the services they need. It allows for case management conferences where an individual can sit down with over a dozen service providers at once and work through what they need.
“This is about individualized care, it’s more wrap-around services and it’s more effective,” Isakson told The News Tribune.
Isakson said the county is planning to compile by-name lists for other populations, including survivors of domestic violence, families experiencing homelessness, and BIPOC individuals.
This story was originally published December 26, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
