Shelter Portal: QR-Based Service Tracking for Low-Barrier Shelters
Faculty Mentor
Sanmeet Kaur
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 9:00 AM
End Date
4-14-2026 11:00 AM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Computer Science
Abstract
Shelter Portal is a web-based service tracking application developed for low-barrier shelters, including Catholic Charities’ House of Charity and Rising Strong programs. Many shelters still rely on manual headcounts and estimated meal totals, which are labor-intensive, error-prone, and insufficient for tracking individual service use over time. This limits operational visibility and makes it difficult to generate reliable reports, identify usage trends, and support external reporting requirements. Shelter Portal addresses this problem by providing a more accurate and privacy-conscious way to document shelter services. The system was designed as a kiosk and web-based platform that uses scannable QR code cards to record client participation in services such as meals and sleep services. Each card contains only a secure UUID linked to a client record through a CMIS-associated identifier, helping protect client privacy while enabling auditable service records. Additional features include configurable service management, report generation, and a digital token wallet to support incentive-based programs. The project demonstrates that shelter service tracking can be digitized in a way that is both practical for staff workflows and adaptable to low-barrier environments. By replacing inconsistent manual counts with structured digital records, Shelter Portal has the potential to improve operational decision-making, support data-driven funding and resource allocation, and provide a scalable model for adoption by other shelters and community service organizations.
Recommended Citation
Steele, Kate; Knopik, Colton; and Fischer, Michael, "Shelter Portal: QR-Based Service Tracking for Low-Barrier Shelters" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 27.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p1_2026/27
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Shelter Portal: QR-Based Service Tracking for Low-Barrier Shelters
PUB NCR
Shelter Portal is a web-based service tracking application developed for low-barrier shelters, including Catholic Charities’ House of Charity and Rising Strong programs. Many shelters still rely on manual headcounts and estimated meal totals, which are labor-intensive, error-prone, and insufficient for tracking individual service use over time. This limits operational visibility and makes it difficult to generate reliable reports, identify usage trends, and support external reporting requirements. Shelter Portal addresses this problem by providing a more accurate and privacy-conscious way to document shelter services. The system was designed as a kiosk and web-based platform that uses scannable QR code cards to record client participation in services such as meals and sleep services. Each card contains only a secure UUID linked to a client record through a CMIS-associated identifier, helping protect client privacy while enabling auditable service records. Additional features include configurable service management, report generation, and a digital token wallet to support incentive-based programs. The project demonstrates that shelter service tracking can be digitized in a way that is both practical for staff workflows and adaptable to low-barrier environments. By replacing inconsistent manual counts with structured digital records, Shelter Portal has the potential to improve operational decision-making, support data-driven funding and resource allocation, and provide a scalable model for adoption by other shelters and community service organizations.
