Question: Do street outreach workers have to contact or meet with a client at least once a week to document continuous homelessness?
Answer: No. Street outreach workers are not required to meet with a client at least once a week to document that neighbor’s homelessness or to document a client as continuously homeless.
Acceptable forms of third-party documentation based on the recordkeeping requirements that were established in the Final Rule on Defining “Chronically Homeless” include:
- An individual record of a stay in an emergency shelter, a safe haven, or from a street outreach contact from an HMIS, or comparable database used by victim service or legal service providers;
- A written observation by an outreach or intake worker of encounters with the individual or head of household that includes a description of the conditions where the individual or head of household was living or is currently living;
- A written observation by a community member that has observed where the individual or head of household was living or is currently living;
- A written referral by another housing or service provider.
Further guidance is provided by HUD in the HUD Exchange FAQs under the question: How can encounters with the individual or head of household by the outreach worker or intake worker be documented so that it is considered third-party documentation?
