Regional Services Database Glossary

Term	Location of Term Map	Definition
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)	Access	Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA accessibility in the RSD is derived from multiple data points, and indication of ADA accessibility does not necessarily indicate all elements of the building are ADA compliant.
Behavioral Health Care	Service	The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines behavioral health services as supportive interventions that treat mental health and substance use disorders, address life stressors, and assist individuals in crisis to achieve stability and maintain housing.
Day Center	Project Type (if applicable)	Day centers provide an indoor space for people to escape the elements and get their basic needs met, such as taking a shower, eating a meal or charging their phone. Often, day centers are also able to connect people with long-term services like shelter, housing, healthcare, and more.
Emergency Shelter	Project Type	Defined as temporary shelter from the elements and unsafe streets for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Shelter programs are either fixed capacity (facility-based) or flexible capacity (for example, hotel/motel vouchers). Emergency shelters typically address the basic health, food, clothing, and personal hygiene needs of the households that they serve and provide information and referrals about supportive services and housing. Emergency shelters are indoors and range from mats on the floor in a common space to beds in individual units. Some shelters are overnight only, while others operate 24/7.
Health Care	Service	Specialized, trauma-informed medical, dental, and behavioral care tailored to the unique barriers faced by unhoused individuals. It prioritizes low-barrier access, bringing care directly to the streets, shelters, and transitional housing
Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)	N/A	HMIS refers to the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), the system used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to program participants. The HEARTH Act requires that all communities have an HMIS and collect information from their Continuum of Care (CoC) and ESG-funded projects.
Housing Navigation	Service	A supportive service that helps individuals and families experiencing homelessness overcome barriers to secure permanent housing. Navigators assist clients through every step of the process, from Coordinated Entry assessment to post-move-in stability.
Hygiene*	Service	Indicates whether programs provide hygiene options and/or resources.
Inactive	Project Coding	Project is temporarily inactive but plans to reopen in the near future.
In Development	Project Coding	Project is in the process of opening, but doesn’t have any residents or program participants enrolled currently.
Families	Population Served	Services for families, where family is defined as a household with at least one minor and one adult 18 or over, or a pregnancy in the household.
Food Offered*	Service	Indicates whether programs provide food.
Length of Stay	Card	Notes if there is an expectation to vacate after a period of time.
Live Inventory	N/A	Live Inventory is a required module within HMIS which tracks the information and availability associated with housing and shelter units in King County. Information is collected at the site, building, and unit level, and is maintained directly by the provider agency.
Partners	Card	Indicates if program allows for or accommodates living situations for 2 adults to stay together.
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)	Project Type	Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is permanent housing in which housing assistance (e.g., long-term leasing or rental assistance) and supportive services are provided to assist households with at least one member (adult or child) with a disability in achieving housing stability.
Pets Ok	Amenities	Indicates whether a program allows pets.
Rapid Re-Housing (RRH)	Project Type	RRH is permanent housing that provides short-term (up to three months) and medium-term (4-24 months) tenant-based rental assistance and supportive services to households experiencing homelessness.
Safe Parking	Project Type	A program for individuals and families that provides a safe place to park for the night with some security, hygiene services, and garbage services.
Sanctioned Encampment	Project Type	A designated area of public or private land where individuals experiencing homelessness are permitted by local government or agencies to set up tents or temporary shelters. These types of encampments are typically temporary and often are combined with on-site support services.
Seasonally Dependent	Project Coding	Project is only open during severe weather events
Severe Weather Shelter	Project Type	A type of temporary emergency shelter that provides basic shelter for individuals affected by an emergency, extreme weather event, as defined by the National Weather Service, and/or disaster. Services are only activated during a declared emergency and/or extreme weather event. Please KCRHA’s severe weather page here.
Sobriety Policies	Card	Denotes policies for substance use and intoxication at service locations.
Storage	Amenities	Indicates whether a program has storage space for clients.
Subsidized Housing	Project Type	Subsidized Housing is a community-based housing model, the purpose of which is to provide housing subsidy without a designated length of stay. PH program participants must be the tenant on a lease (or sublease) which must: – Have an initial term of at least one year – Be renewable for a minimum term of one month – Be terminable only for cause
Subregion	Location	KCRHA divides King County into seven distinct sub-regions. This framework allows the agency to decentralize its operations, address the unique needs and assets of specific communities, and collaborate directly with local governments, healthcare providers, and community-based organizations. This includes: – East King County – North King County – Seattle Metro (including Vashon Island) – Snoqualmie Valley – South East King County – South King County Urban – Unincorporated The RSD also displays services that span into Pierce County.
Substance Use Care	Service	Integrated, low-barrier behavioral health treatments designed to help unhoused individuals who struggle with substance use disorders.
Tiny House Village (THV)		Tiny houses are micro-modular shelters that can vary considerably, from small freestanding rooms with a bed to units that have fully operational kitchens and bathrooms. A Tiny Home Village (THV) is a community of tiny homes that provide safe and secure temporary shelter for people experiencing homelessness.
Transitional Housing		Transitional Housing (TH) provides temporary housing with supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness with the goal of interim stability and support to successfully move to and maintain permanent housing. TH projects can cover housing costs and accompanying supportive services for program participants for up to 24 months. Participants in a TH project must have a signed lease, sublease, or occupancy agreement with the following requirements: – An initial term of at least one month – Automatically renewable upon expiration, except by prior notice by either party – A maximum term of 24 months
Units	Card	Number of units of housing or shelter beds available. Family units or those with partners may contain more than one bed.
Veterans	Population Served	Services for any person who served in the active military, naval, or air service (and was not dishonorably discharged) who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, or is living in a temporary, emergency, or inadequate shelter
Walk In	Access	Immediate, on-demand assistance where individuals can receive help—such as a hot meal, hygiene facilities, or temporary overnight shelter—without needing a prior appointment or formal referral.
Youth (18-24)	Population Served	Services for young adults, who are individuals between the ages of 18 and 24.