The primary function of the Housing Match team at Keys to Change is to manage the Single Adult Coordinated Entry (SACE) system on behalf of Maricopa County. This HUD-funded program is designed to create intentional, equitable, and timely housing outcomes across a fragmented and complex service delivery ecosystem.

If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is! Let’s break it down together. 🙂

“Keys to Change Housing Match serves as the central nervous system of housing solutions in Maricopa County,” says Richard Crews, Director of Strategic Impact.

To start the journey home, an individual experiencing homelessness interacts first with an “entry point” – which could be a shelter, or a clinic, or a hospital, or the Brian Garcia Welcome Center at Key Campus – any of the 40+ registered locations throughout the valley.

Accessing a central database, trained entry point staff create an intake profile for each person – collecting standard data points and assessing vulnerabilities to help prioritize effective care on an individual basis. The client’s name is then added to the By-Name List to put them in line for housing solutions that fit their unique situation.

The data sharing, referral process, training, and coordination efforts for this entire system are facilitated by the six-person Housing Match team.

In this way, the Housing Match team provides a medium for electric currents to send signals throughout the “body” of the homeless response system – ensuring that the many agencies are providing services in a coordinated manner. So, hands and feet move together to make forward progress, ultimately leading to better outcomes and faster results for those working to end their homelessness.

It takes a special team to manage that kind of voltage! And the electricity is palpable when you walk into the Housing Match office, tucked away in the belly of the Lodestar Day Resource Center at Key Campus. “People stop by the Housing Match office when they want a jolt of positive energy,” says Richard Crews.

Housing Match Manager Andrea Havins loves that about her team. “Every single team member is a true and natural advocate,” says Andrea. “They support each other beautifully and show unwavering passion. It’s not just a job – it’s a calling. They don’t even realize how much they inspire me.”

Each team member brings their own brand of electricity to the work – whether they come from street outreach, behavioral health, or data management. “Each has a solid background mixed with lived experience, clinical processes, and service work. It’s a dream team!” says Andrea.

The Housing Match team works mostly behind the scenes – an invisible force harnessing raw data and provider relationships to power real-life transformations in the lives of our clients.

“Without the Housing Match team, the homelessness sector would look like The Hunger Games – but unlike that story, the odds would never be in the client’s favor,” says Richard, who oversees Housing Match on a strategic level.

CEO Amy Schwabenlender agrees. “Before Housing Match, access to supportive housing was not an even playing field,” says Amy. “Homeless people with vocal, experienced case managers were generally more successful at “finding” a housing placement.”

In contrast, continues Amy, “people with no case manager, or a case manager who may have been carrying too large of a caseload, or was inexperienced, were less successful at “finding” housing.”

The work of the Housing Match team is absolutely essential to the mission of working together to end homelessness. “In the end, collaboration isn’t just a nice idea…it’s the only way to truly make a difference,” says Housing Match Manager Andrea.

Heading into a year of unknowns, public awareness and community activism represent a huge reservoir of potential energy. Dear reader, thank you for staying informed. Programs like Housing Match benefit from your attention, to bear witness to successful strategies and spark further conversation – thank you for your energy and your passion.

To the Housing Match team – we see you, we value you, and we’re grateful for all that you do! When asked the hardest part of managing the team, Andrea said that it’s “knowing that no words or actions could ever fully express just how valuable they are.” (We think you did a pretty good job right there, Andrea.)

Thank you Andrea, Maria, Denisse, Diane, Nette, and Johnny for bringing your hearts and talents to Keys to Change.