Fixing the front door of homeless services with AI
How Associated Ministries is removing intake friction across the Pierce County Continuum of Care.
The problem
For over 50 years, Associated Ministries has been at the center of the homelessness response in Pierce County, operating within the Continuum of Care (CoC).
But the system is under real strain.
Homelessness is up 125%. Nearly 2,000 people are sitting on the priority pool. And the biggest pressure point isn’t just housing supply — it’s the front door.
“We’re bottlenecked at the beginning.”
People struggle to get in. Staff are overwhelmed with calls, scheduling, and admin. The result? Less time helping people, more time managing the system.
The shift
Associated Ministries had already evolved their model — combining Coordinated Entry and Systems Navigation so clients aren’t left alone in the system.
But capacity was still stuck at intake.
The question became simple:
What if we fixed the front door?
The reluctance
Valorie wasn’t sold at first.
“I’m a social worker… I was nervous about AI.”
Her team felt the same. Concerns about replacing people. Losing the human element. Getting it wrong.
What changed wasn’t hype — it was understanding.
AI wasn’t there to replace staff. It was there to remove the work that stops them doing their job.
“We want to spend more time with families. This is how we do it.”
The solution
Fortell AI was introduced to handle the front door.
It answers calls, assesses eligibility, and books appointments — 24/7.
People can now access support in the evenings, on weekends, whenever they actually have time.
“People just aren’t available 9 to 5… this creates access.”
What changed
Within weeks, the impact was obvious.
Admin work dropped. Staff got time back. After-hours demand was finally being met.
“Now they’re 100% bought in.”
More importantly, the system started to feel different.
Less reactive. More responsive.
What comes next
This isn’t just about intake.
Associated Ministries is now looking at how AI can support people through the system — checking in while they’re on the waitlist, making sure they don’t drop off, keeping them connected.
Because right now, too many people get lost between steps.
Why it matters
This isn’t about technology.
It’s about capacity.
In a system where demand keeps rising, you don’t fix the problem by asking staff to work harder.
You fix it by removing friction.
“Because of the crisis we’re in… we have to do things differently.”
Fix the front door, and everything behind it starts to move.
That’s what Associated Ministries has done. And now, they’re taking it to the wider CoC system.
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