Lane County announced Thursday a new coordinated entry portal and associated tools designed to connect people experiencing homelessness or eviction to shelter and housing resources.

Lane County Coordinated Entry “is a low-barrier first step to accessing services available to anyone in Lane County facing a housing crisis,” the county said in a press release. The system allows people to fill out the “Unite Us” form online or call 211 to request shelter or housing services, instead of having to visit a service provider in person as was previously required. That in-person option is still available for those who choose it.

Alongside the coordinated entry portal and 211 upgrade, Lane County announced the Real Time Shelter Finder which tracks shelter bed availability with the ability to filter by condition.

As of Thursday morning, the shelter finder said there were 32 shelter spots available, counting both beds and parking programs. Most of these vacancies were at the Eugene Mission and the River Avenue Navigation Center. The shelter finder showed one vacancy for families with children.

“Previously, community members in need of shelter would either need to call each shelter to inquire about vacancy, or physically present themselves at the shelter location,” Lane County said in the press release. “The former process was cumbersome and led to some shelters being over capacity while others remained under.”

Lane County said after someone requests services through coordinated entry, assessors will determine what resources are available based on the individual or family’s situation. According to the coordinated entry page and the press release, possible services include help searching for housing or with the rental or eviction process, financial rent assistance, survival supplies such as a tent or food, connection to shelter, or housing support such as with permanent supportive housing.

Alan Torres covers local government for the Register-Guard. He can be reached over email at atorres@registerguard.com or on X @alanfryetorres.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Lane County launches online portal to access housing resources