HMIS

(Homeless Management Information System)

Intro

The Institute for Community Alliances (ICA) will operate all aspects of the Homeless Management Information System for the Balance of State – Iowa and serve as the HMIS Lead. ICA is responsible for:

  • Data and Technical Standards Compliance;

  • HMIS Policies and Procedures;

  • Contributing Homeless Organization Memorandum of Understanding;

  • Training and Technical Assistance;

  • Monitor System Participation/Data Quality Performance;

  • Performance Outcomes Reporting (CoC Wide/Individiual Program);

  • Longitudinal System Analysis (LSA);

  • Required Program Reports;

  • Point-In-Time (PIT);

  • Housing Inventory Report.

HMIS

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) as a local information technology system used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness and persons at risk of homelessness.

This HMIS Policies & Procedures provides the policy guidelines and standards that govern the ongoing operations of the Institute for Community Alliances Homeless Management Information System Project (ICA HMIS). The Project Overview provides the main objectives, direction, and benefits of ICA HMIS. The Governing Principles establish the values that are the basis for all policy statements and subsequent decisions. Finally, the Operating Procedures provide specific policies and steps necessary to control the operational environment.

Please also note that DVIMS (Domestic Violence Information Management System) is the comparable database utilized by victim service providers to ensure data collection is confidential and anonymous for survivors.

Annual Performance Report (APR)

HUD requires CoC homeless assistance grant recipients to submit their Annual Performance Report (APR) data through the Sage HMIS Reporting Repository every operating year. ​

The APR is used to track the progress and accomplishments of CoC-funded projects.  All CoC recipients must complete their APR 90 days from the end of their operating year. ​

System Performance Measures (SPM)

A critical aspect of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended, is a focus on viewing the local homeless response as a coordinated system of homeless assistance options as opposed to homeless assistance programs and funding sources that operate independently in a community. To facilitate this perspective the Act now requires communities to measure their performance as a coordinated system, in addition to analyzing performance by specific projects or project types.

The Act has established a set of selection criteria for HUD to use in awarding CoC funding in section 427 that require CoCs to report to HUD their system-level performance. The intent of these selection criteria are to encourage CoCs, in coordination with ESG Program recipients and all other homeless assistance community partners in the community, to regularly measure their progress in meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness in their community and to report this progress to HUD.

Find information and videos here regarding the System Performance Measures.

Check out our current System Performance Measures.

Longitudinal System Analysis (LSA)

The Longitudinal Systems Analysis (LSA) report, produced from a CoC’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and submitted annually to HUD via the HDX 2.0, provides HUD and Continuums of Care (CoCs) with critical information about how people experiencing homelessness use their system of care.

The LSA reporting period is 10/1 to 9/30. All corrections and changes to client data regarding this time period should be made by the first week of November.

The 2024 Submission date is provided below:

  • November 13, 2024 - By this date, Continuums of Care (CoCs) should have logged into the HDX 2.0 and had at least one successful upload of an “Official HUD Review File” for the FY 2024 reporting period (10/1/2023 – 9/30/2024).

  • November 29, 2024 - By this date, CoCs should have logged into the HDX 2.0 and had at least one successful upload of an “Official HUD Review File” for the FY 2023 reporting period (10/1/2022 – 9/30/2023).

  • November 25-27, 2024 - Thanksgiving Break Period.

  • December 12, 2024 - By this date, CoCs should have at least one successful upload and have submitted notes related to warnings.

  • December 23, 2024-January 1, 2025 - Winter Holiday Break Period.

  • January 9, 2025- Final submission deadline.

    • All data errors should be eliminated from uploads to the extent possible and all warning should be addressed with comprehensive notes.

“There is a lot that happens around the world we cannot control. We cannot stop earthquakes, we cannot prevent droughts, and we cannot prevent all conflict, but when we know where the hungry, the homeless and the sick exist, then we can help.” – Jan Schakowsky

Data Quality Plan (DQP)

This Plan is intended to define an integrated plan to improve and maintain the level of data quality needed to accomplish community goals and objectives. Data quality is vitally important to the success of both the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and Iowa’s comparable domestic violence database, the Domestic Violence Information Management System (DVIMS), and the programs that utilize these databases.  

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) monitors the quality of HMIS data through programs such as the Housing Inventory Count (HIC), the HUD System Performance Measures (SPMs), and the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). If the quality of data is poor, HUD may refuse to grant funding or elect to trim future funding. Funding cuts could negatively affect Iowa programs.

HUD’s data standards can be found here: https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/3824/hmis-data-dictionary/

Data Quality Plan

ICA’s Learning Management System- Data Quality Plan Course

CoC Peer to Peer- Recorded Training Session

Data Quality Dashboard- This dashboard shows how individual projects compare to each other for each metric of interest, as well as how CoC-funded projects are performing as a collective.

Quarterly Data Quality Report Dates for CoC-funded projects

  • Quarter 1: January 1-March 31 (Due prior to April 15th) 

  • Quarter 2: April 1-June 30 (Due prior to July 15th)                                                

  • Quarter 3: July 1- September 30 (Due prior to October 15th) 

  • Quarter 4: October 1- December 31 (Due prior to January 15th) 

Data

Stay up to date with what is happening across the Iowa Balance of State Continuum of Care.

  • Dashboards- Utilize these dashboards to dig into the data.

  • Data & Reports- Check out the Annual Snapshot of service and shelter use and the National Point in Time Explorer.

Contact

For more information on data or to utilize the HMIS system connect with staff at support@icalliances.org.

HMIS Staff are listed below along with a link to the HMIS Lead website.

  • Patrick Schacherer, HMIS Director

  • KarLee Kearns, HMIS Manager

  • Kasper Kittredge, Data Analyst

  • Kyndra Lobdell, HMIS System Administrator

  • Susan McCarragher, HMIS System Administrator

  • Institute for Community Alliances