By-Name Prioritization List
First we need to recognize that homelessness is a complex problem.
The tool we are using to respond to the ever changing information is the By-Name Prioritization List.
What is a By-Name Prioritized List?
A By-Name Prioritized List or BNPL is a real-time, up-to-date list of all people experiencing homelessness in our community. BNPL allows our community to know every person experiencing homelessness by name.
It provides data at two levels:
- Person-specific level data (individual data)
- System-level data (aggregate data for measuring progress and improvement)
By-Name List Data

How the By-Name Data Helps Communities End Homelessness
A By-Name Prioritized List can be used to track progress towards ending long-term homelessness. The data acquired can be used to illuminate the strengths and gaps in our system, and to advocate for additional resources to meet the needs of our community.
Benefits of a By-Name List – In Summary

- Target limited housing resources to the most vulnerable individuals and families.
- Stretch resources further by connecting people to the most cost-effective support to meet their needs

- Use aggregate data to see trends, flag bottlenecks, and identify improvement opportunities across your system.
- Test new strategies and know quickly whether your efforts are reducing homelessness.

- Ground your advocacy in concrete data.
- Use monthly data trends to make stable projections and quantify your projected resource gaps.