Centrecare’s Entrypoint Outreach Program (EPO) was a preventative early intervention pilot funded by Lotterywest designed to divert families and individuals from homelessness into housing. The brief intervention (2–6 weeks) targeted families who were newly homeless or were at immediate risk of homelessness in a very tight rental market.

The program is at the point where it can be scaled with increased staffing (including those with real estate experience and contacts), flexibility for a longer intervention period if needed, and the availability of flexible brokerage funding. The program also generated novel ideas for systems reform, such as bigger tax concessions for landlords who opt to become providers of housing for those experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness.