1. Introduction to Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)

2. Overview What is HMIS? Benefits of HMIS Pros and Cons of HMIS
History of HMIS
HMIS is a Tool, Not the Goal
Sample Local HMIS Initiatives
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

3. What is HMIS? Homeless Management Information System
A Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is a computerized data collection tool specifically designed to capture client-level, system-wide information over time on the characteristics and services needs of men, women, and children experiencing homelessness.
HMISs are typically web-based software applications that local homeless communities implement to enter and share client-level data across agencies about homeless persons served in shelters or other homeless service agencies.
HMIS allows the aggregation of client-level data across homeless service agencies to generate unduplicated counts and service patterns of clients served.
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

4. What is HMIS? Homeless Management Information System
An HMIS is either a vendor developed or a community’s locally developed software system that records and stores information on homeless clients served
HUD’s National Data and Technical Standards establish baseline standards for participation, data collection, privacy and security
Implementation of HMIS is a requirement for receipt of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) McKinney-Vento funding
Please Review HMIS Terms and
Acronyms Handout
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

5. What is HMIS? Homeless Management Information System
HMIS records and stores:
Client Intake
Demographics
Basic assessment of needs
Bed utilization
Service Tracking
Services delivered by a provider
Services received by clients
Gaps in the homeless services in a community.
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

6. What is HMIS? Homeless Management Information System
Case Management
Ability to plan, schedule, and follow-up on delivery of services
Ability to track changes in clients over time
Ability to monitor and measure performance goals and outcomes
Information and Referral (I & R)
Database of available resources
Online referrals
Electronic submission of applications for benefits and eligibility determination.
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

7. Triangle of Benefits of HMIS
Homeless
Service Providers
CoC
Coordinators,
Policy Makers,
Government
Officials
Men
Women and
Children
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

8. Benefits for Homeless Men, Women, and Children
Decrease in duplicate intakes and assessments
Streamlined referrals
Coordinated case management
Mainstream benefit eligibility and/or determination
Professional development through involvement in planning process
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

9. Benefits for Homeless Service Providers
Improve agency effectiveness through tracking client outcomes
Coordinate services, internally among agency programs, and externally with other providers
Prepare financial and programmatic reports for funders, boards, and other stakeholders
Inform program design decisions
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

10. Benefits for Community Coordinators, Policy Makers, and Government Officials
Increase the understanding of the local extent and scope of homelessness
Facilitate an unduplicated count of persons experiencing homelessness
Identify service gaps (i.e. are the services available meeting the needs of clients)
Inform systems design and policy decisions
Develop a forum for addressing community-wide issues
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

11. Pros and Cons of HMIS vs. Traditional Methods
Why is HMIS a better alternative than point in time counts or aggregate service provider reports for gathering community- wide information on homelessness?
Method: Point in Time Counts
Count everyone who is homeless on one night
Pro: Unduplicated number of people on the street or in shelter in one night, includes those not served by homeless programs
Con: No information on whether those people were homeless for one night or all year. Under-represents those that move in and out of the system throughout a time period.
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

12. Pros and Cons of HMIS vs. Traditional Methods
Method: Summation of aggregate reports from funded agencies
Each program generates aggregate data about persons served over a time period (i.e. a year)
Pro: Broader information about population served throughout all programs
Con: Duplicated counts, the same people are counted by multiple programs; limited understanding of patterns of service use or total population size.
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

13. Why HMIS Over Other Methods?
Summary of Approaches
Method
Generates Unduplicated Counts
Patterns of Entering and Exiting Homelessness
In-Depth Information on Clients and Needs
One Night Count
Yes No
Service Provider Reports
HMIS
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

14. History of HMIS
1980 – early 1990s: Big cities with large homeless populations pioneer the use of computer-based tracking systems
2001: Congress directs HUD to develop an unduplicated count of the homeless; HUD requires all McKinney-Vento funded homeless grantees to implement HMIS
2004: Final HMIS Data and Technical Standards are published
2005: First National Annual Homeless Assessment Report
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

15. HMIS Congressional Directive
In 2001, Congress directed HUD on the need for data and analysis on the extent of homelessness and the effectiveness of the McKinney-Vento Act Programs including:
Developing unduplicated counts of clients served at the local level;
Analyzing patterns of use of people entering and exiting the homeless assistance system; and
Evaluating the effectiveness of these systems.
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

16. HMIS Data and Technical Standards Final Notice
HMIS Data and Technical Standards Final Notice was published by HUD in Theses data standards were last updated in March of 2010.
Sets the expectation for participation and data collection for providers of homeless services
Defines universal and program-specific data elements
Prioritizes HMIS implementation by program type
Sets baseline privacy and security requirements
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

17. HMIS is a Tool, Not the Goal
What questions can HMIS help to answer:
At the local level?
At the national level?
How are communities implementing HMIS at the local level?
Background
Uses of Data
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

18. What Questions Can HMIS Answer for Local Communities?
How many people are homeless on the streets and in the service system?
How many are chronically or episodically homeless?
What are the characteristics and service needs of those served?
Which programs are most effective at reducing and ending homelessness?
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

19. What Questions Can HMIS Answer for the Nation?
How many people are homeless in the United States?
Who is homeless?
Where do people receive shelter and services and where did they live before homelessness?
What are the patterns of homeless residential program use?
What is the nation’s capacity for housing homeless people and how much is utilized?
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

20. HMIS Will Inform the Development of HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report
What is the AHAR?
It is an annual report to Congress about the number and characteristics of people who use homeless residential services and their patterns of use.
The AHAR is HUD’s initial strategy to respond to the Congressional Directive.
The first AHAR will include basic demographic and intake/exit data on people who used emergency shelters and transitional housing during 2005.
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

21. Additional Information About HMIS is Available
HMIS Related Info:
HMIS Data and Technical Standards Final Notice:
20Data%20Standards-Revised%20_3.pdf
Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development