A By-Name List is a real-time list of all people experiencing homelessness in your community.  It includes a robust set of data points that support coordinated access and prioritization at a household level and an understanding of homeless inflow and outflow at a system level.  This real-time actionable data supports triage to services, system performance evaluation and advocacy (for the policies and resources necessary to end homelessness).

For further background information about By-Name Lists:

• Watch this short 4 minute CAEH video on By-Name Lists and Functional Zero Chronic Homelessness
• Read this CAEH blog on the Power of Real-Time Data
• See this short 3 minute OrgCode video that explains the difference between a By-Name List, Coordinated Access List and Prioritization List (and how they work together).

This two-page 10 Steps to Create and Use a By-Name List document provides you with simple steps and links to further resources to help you develop, use and sustain a quality By-Name List.

10 Steps to Create and Use a By-Name List

The By-Name List (BNL) Scorecard is a self-assessment tool that assists you to take a snapshot of your local progress towards a quality By-Name List and identify areas for improvement. For an overview, see the BNL Scorecard 2.0 launch webinar or PowerPoint PDF.

By-Name List Scorecard Guide

By-Name List Scorecard 2.0 Guide

Start by reviewing the By-Name List Scorecard 2.0 Guide.  The Guide explains what the BNL Scorecard is and walks you through each question (including a full explanation along with tips and resources).

Complete the By-Name List Scorecard

 By-Name List Scorecard 2.0

Record your answers in the By-Name List Scorecard 2.0 and receive your score for Basic and Advanced Quality. The BNL Scorecard 2.0 is part of the Scorecards & Tools Google Worksheet (view only) that you can make a copy of to use for your community. The Scorecards & Tools document includes the following six tabs:

• • Tab #1: Instructions
  • Tab #2: About Your Community
  • Tab #3: By-Name List Scorecard 2.0
  • Tab #4: Coordinated Access Scorecard 2.0
  • Tab #5: Provider Participation Tool
  • Tab #6: Provider Participation Tool – Instructions and Results
• Remember, your score is for improvement, not judgement. 
• Take the Scorecard with others in your community – here are some ideas for Scorecard Group Exercises.
• Use the notes section to explain your answer and identify your next steps. 
• Note:
  • BFZ-C communities complete the Scorecard in their BFZ-C Change Package.
  • Non-BFZ-C Reaching Home Designated communities working with CAEH BNL/CA Training and Technical Assistance complete the Scorecard in the TTA Change Package.
  • Quebec communities can use the resources listed on this webpage.

Scorecard Tools:

• BNL Scorecard Group Exercises – ideas you can use with your community when you review the BNL Scorecard together
• Coordinate Outreach Coverage – Key Considerations and Examples (for BNL Scorecard 2.0 Question #2)
• Inactivity Policy – Key Considerations and Examples  – see also Inactivity Policy Template (for BNL Scorecard 2.0 Question #4)
• Timely and Accurate Updates Policy Template (for BNL Scorecard 2.0 Question #6)
• Data Balancing Workbook (walks you through the six key BNL data points and provides a “sandbox” to test your data to ensure it is balanced)

See CAEH BNL Excel Workbook and CAEH BNL Excel Workbook Guide

The CAEH By-Name List Excel Workbook is a customizable interim approach for storing and using BNL data to end homelessness. It can be used until communities are able to fully implement a more sophisticated real-time Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS) like HIFIS 4 (the Homelessness Individual and Family Information System).

The workbook is intended to be customized by communities for their unique needs. As is, the workbook meets the basic quality requirements for both the CAEH chronic and veteran BNL Scorecards. It is also designed to collect monthly Inflow and Outflow data.

This workbook is compatible with Excel 2007 and onward. Older versions of Excel (2003 or older) will not be able to run this workbook properly.

Its not just about having data through your BNL – its about how you display it for further analysis to help make data-driven decisions in your community.  Below are sample data dashboards from a number of communities.

• Built for Zero Canada Community Dashboards (monthly progress to functional zero chronic)
• Adelaide Zero Project (monthly – goal to end street homelessness by 2020)
• Chicago (real-time)
• Edmonton (real-time through Tableau)
• ECHO Austin, TX (monthly)
• Montreal (for goal to house 2,000 people by 2020)
• Toronto Daily Shelter Usage and Overnight Service Usage
• US Built for Zero 
• Waterloo System (weekly) and Waterloo Public (“All In 2020”) 
• Windsor Data Reliability Dashboard (as By-Name List spreadsheet is updated)

A By-Name List is the crown jewel of a strong Coordinated Access system (CA).  A CA is a way for communities to design, streamline and bring consistency to the process by which people experiencing homelessness access housing and services. A strong CA uses a housing first approach along with a standardized and coordinated process for access, assessment, prioritization and referral for housing and other services across all the agencies and organizations in a local area.

This short 3 minute OrgCode video explains the difference between a By-Name List, Coordinated Access List and Prioritization List (and how they work together).

Further information and resources to support your work in developing and improving coordinated access and prioritization processes can be found on the Coordinated Access page of this website.