Introduction to Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)

Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Introduction to Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)

Prepared by Abt Associates for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 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


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.



• 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



• 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.



• 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.


Triangle of Benefits of HMIS

Homeless Service Providers

CoC Coordinators, Policy Makers,Government

Officials

HomelessMen

Women and Children


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


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


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


Pros and Cons of HMIS vs. Traditional Methods

• 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.

Why is HMIS a better alternative than point in time counts or aggregate service provider reports for gathering community-wide information on homelessness?


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.


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 No

Service Provider Reports

No No Yes

HMIS Yes Yes Yes


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


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.


HMIS Data and Technical Standards Final Notice

• HMIS Data and Technical Standards Final Notice was published by HUD in 2004

• 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


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


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?


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?


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.


Sample Local HMIS Initiatives

• Kansas City Metropolitan Area

• Ramsey County, Minnesota

• City of Spokane, Washington

• Washington, D.C.


Mid America Assistance Collation (MAACLink)- Background

• Implementation:

– 5 County implementation across Missouri/Kansas state borders

– Began entering data in 1994

– 140 + agencies on board including emergency assistance, food pantries, emergency shelters, transitional housing, supportive service providers

• Funding:

– Anticipated cost: $600,000/year

– Funding from foundations, program fees, corporate grants, United Way, individuals, and religious organizations


MAACLink Uses HMIS Data to:

• Maximize funds for emergency assistance programs;

• Target resources to areas of need;

• Measure program outcomes;

• Advocate on behalf of low income and homeless persons;

• Fulfill reporting requirements.


MAACLink Publishes Annual Statistical Report

• Every year Mid American Assistance Coalition publishes an annual statistical report that has found:

– Information and referral hotline received 17,885 telephone calls for emergency assistance in 2004;

– 80% of emergency assistance services were provided to residents in 20 metro zip codes in 2004;

– 7,896 homeless households received emergency assistance in 2003; and

– 136,809 bed nights were provided to 6,766 individuals in 2003.

• MAACLinks Statistical Reports can be downloaded at http://www.maaclink.org/publications.htm


Minnesota HMIS - Background

• Established in 1991 in the city of St. Paul / Ramsey County. Developed from one of the nation’s first HMIS projects.

• Statewide collaborative of the 13 Continua of Care administered by Wilder Research Center and governed by a diverse group of homeless service providers

• On any given night nearly 9,000 Minnesotans are homeless

• The number of homeless families in Minnesota more than tripled between 1991 and 2003.


Minnesota HMIS - Ramsey County Data

• Data submitted by 6 emergency shelters; analyzed over 13 years.

• In 2003, 4,215 individuals used emergency shelter in Ramsey County, a 20% increase from 2002

• 60% were single men; 14% single women; 25% individuals in families

• 2/5 of the children served in families were under the age of 4

• Trend in 2003 was toward more frequent and shorter stays driven in part by the conversion of a 150-bed winter shelter to a year-round shelter

• An additional 1,129 women exited domestic violence shelters in 2003

http://www.wilder.org/fileadmin/user_upload/research/RamseyCountyShelter13th_04.pdf


City of Spokane - Background

• Begun in 1995, the Spokane Human Services Department collaborated with organizations from the Spokane Homeless Coalition to implement a homeless information system

• The system was designed to:

1. Achieve an unduplicated count of homeless individuals and households living in the City of Spokane,

2. Understand the needs of the homeless population,

3. Improve communication among homeless providers.

• City of Spokane uses the HMIS to respond to a wide variety of public policy needs, as well as planning, reporting, and evaluation at both the provider and the government levels


City of Spokane - Data

• In 2004, 7294 unduplicated persons were homeless

• Homeless families with children represent slightly less than 20% of overall homeless population and earn on average $546/month

• Homeless households with children increased 10% from 2001 to 2004

• More than 1 out of every 4 homeless household with children reported domestic violence as a reason for homelessness

• 1 of every 3 homeless adult reported a disability

• 10% of the homeless adult population were Veteranshttp://www.spokanehomeless.org/uploads/documents/forms/Documents/2005_Continuum_of_Care_Plan_2005.pdf


Washington, D.C. - Background

• Beginning in 1999 and administered by the Community Partnership the D.C. HMIS has over 300 users, 5,000 clients entered, and over 200 active programs.

• The Community Partnership has worked to utilize data generated through HMIS to analyze and measure outcomes across the D.C. homeless system.


Washington, D.C. – Use of Data

• In 2005 the Community Partnership generated data through HMIS to measure performance of programs seeking renewals for their HUD grants.

• Data generated included: occupancy, income, and destination measures.


Washington D.C. – Data Collection and Outcome Measurement

• Occupancy - tracked entry and exit dates. It illustrated how a program was being utilized and whether clients were remaining in the program for the required period.

– Calculation: Number of client occupied bed night/ Number of total bed nights in period

• Income - tracked and captured a series of cash and non-cash benefits. Both were weighted equally.

– Cash benefits = TANF or Social Security.

– Non-cash benefits = food stamps or subsidy vouchers.

– A bonus point was given when a person obtained employment.

– Calculation: Change in the number of income sources for a client after entry / total clients served



• Destination - a list of destinations after a client left a program. This was an attribute of the success of the program.

– Calculation: Positive destination / total destination

• Length of Stay (LOS) - tracked in lieu of Destination for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Programs using entry and exit dates.

– The goal of PSH is stability in permanent housing.

– If a client was enrolled in a program and able to successfully remain in it for six months or more they obtained a point.

– Calculation: LOS > 6 months / number of clients in program



• Homeless Services Programs were also taken into account. Since the outcome goals for these programs were different, a different assessment was conducted.

• Street Outreach - an assessment that tracked their services transactions according to the needs of the chronically homeless.

– Outreach work is unique

– Engagements and services were tracked to determine:

• How many clients received services from duplicate organizations; and

• How many clients moved on to emergency shelter.


Summary of Key Issues

• All recipients of McKinney-Vento funding are required to participate in an HMIS.

• HMIS Benefits all stakeholders:

– Consumers

– Providers

– CoC, Policy Makers, and Government Officials

• HMIS does more than just collect data.


Additional Information About HMIS is Available

• HMIS Related Info:

– www.hud.gov/office/cpd/homeless/hmis/index.cfm

– www.hmis.info

• HMIS Data and Technical Standards Final Notice:

– http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/homeless/hmis/standards/index.cfm

Introduction to Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)

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