Glossary of Terms

Program Definitions

Emergency Shelter – Our 23-bed Walworth Street shelters operate year-round and are considered “Emergency Shelter”, as defined by HUD (Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development): any facility, the primary purpose of which is to provide a temporary shelter for the homeless in general or for specific populations of the homeless and which does not require occupants to sign leases or occupancy agreements.

Emergency shelter alleviates an immediate need for a short-term housing crisis. Like other successful interventions, emergency shelters maintain a strong focus on quickly assisting individuals in moving to permanent housing, either on their own or with the assistance of another intervention.

Shelters of Saratoga further defines this program through its admission process, safety rules and guest requirements: Guests are asked to maintain sobriety, and actively work on their independent living plan, which leads to permanent housing. Our length of stay goal for each guest is 90 days. Our waitlist for emergency shelter is 20-25 people on average.

Shelter operations are overseen by the NYS Division of Shelter Oversight and Compliance

Code Blue is considered a low-barrier shelter program that operates from November until April, when the weather drops below 32 degrees. The NYS mandate requires each county to provide shelter to people facing homelessness when the temperature thresholds are met. A low-barrier shelter reduces as many barriers to entry as possible (sobriety, identification, criminal background, etc). Shelters of Saratoga further defines low-barrier shelter in its shelter rules:

Primarily:
-ID not required at admission
-Guests do not need to engage in supportive services (though they are available)
-Guests do not need to maintain sobriety, however, drugs and alcohol are not allowed in the shelter
-additional shelter safety rules apply

Operations and fiscal responsibility are developed in conjunction with the Saratoga County Department of Temporary Assistance, as a pass through from the NYS Office of Temporary Disability Assistance.

24/365 Low Barrier Shelter operates similarly to Code Blue. A low-barrier shelter reduces as many barriers to entry as possible (sobriety, identification, criminal background, etc). However, the specific rules for entry are defined by the shelter operator and potentially funders. This type of shelter can effectively help people exit homelessness if support services are available.

Navigation Center – A “one-stop” daytime program where people can attend to multiple needs and take steps towards exiting homelessness: basic hygiene, meals, storage, co-located services (e.g., mental health, substance abuse, healthcare), social interaction, skills acquisition, job search, etc.

*indicates current SOS program

	Emergency Shelter*	Code Blue* Low Barrier Shelter	24/365 Low Barrier Shelter	Navigation Center
Location	14/20 Walworth St	4 Adelphi St.	x	x
Timeframe	year-round	Nov.-April* NYS Mandated	year-round	year-round
Acute need	Shelter, crisis services	Low barrier shelter	Low barrier shelter	Daytime respite
Long-term need	Housing Treatment Social Financial *required as needed	Housing Treatment Social Financial *if willing to accept services	As defined by program operator	Housing Treatment Social Financial *if willing to accept services
Admission & Discharge	Waitlist Intake Assessment Discharge	Guest names recorded daily	As defined by program operator	Intake Assessment Discharge *if willing to accept services
Guest Requirements	Sobriety Independent Living Plan Follow shelter rules	Can be under influence Substances not allowed onsite Follow shelter rules	As defined by program operator	As defined by program operator
Regulatory Oversight	Saratoga County NYS OTDA	Saratoga County NYS OTDA	undefined	undefined
Funders	Government Rent Private donations	Government Private donations	X	X