Challenge: Our task was to help LifeMoves uncover unforeseen challenges at their new modular shelter in Mountain View, which has a significantly different design than the organization’s other shelters. LifeMoves wanted to understand how this site should best be scaled, because they believe that the future of interim housing lies in these modular facilities.
Need: We discovered that nightly bed checks are a significant source of friction between clients and staff at Mountain View, and that this conflict can cause clients to leave the program and return to homelessness.
Solution: We developed a digital sign-in/out system for clients to use whenever they enter or exit the facility. When a client checks in or out, their status is displayed on a visual dashboard that staff can access on their computers. By allowing staff to better view clients’ statuses, we have given staff the ability to know who is on site at any given time, eliminating the need for nightly bed checks.