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Chapter 3: Homeless Population and Current Service Capacity II. 1'he Homeless Service Delivery System In Alameda County, the need for services and housing far outstrips available resources at all points along the Continuum of Care. This section describes the resources currently available in the county to serve homeless people along the continuum and compares them to the needs outlined above. Outreach. Information. and Referral Outreach, information, and referral services are often the first point of entry for homeless people into the homeless service delivery system. For many others, the first contact is through a shelter, drop-in center, or other form of homeless service (described in separate sections below), which typically provide on-site information, assessment, and referral. Information, Referral and Outreach Services- The primary county-wide source of information and referral is Eden I&R, which provides a hotline for anyone seeking detailed information about services and housing in Alameda County and the surrounding areas. From July 1994 to June 1995, Eden I&R received more than 8,000 calls from people needing services, of whom 1,259 were homeless at the time of their call. The Northern California Council for the Community Help line, based in San Francisco, provides information on services and housing in the Bay Area, including Alameda County. In addition, many homeless service providers in Alameda County provide 24-hour hotlines for information about their own services. At least five organizations in Alameda County provide regular street outreach to homeless people, including two mobile health and mental health teams. These programs target homeless people who are living on the streets or in other places unsuited for habitation, and seek to provide them services where they are and to link them with ongoing services and shelter or housing. The programs providing this service appear at the end of this chapter. Alameda County-Wide Homeless Continuum of Care Plan: April.1997 23