Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)
Congress has indicated that jurisdictions should be collecting an array of data on homelessness, including unduplicated counts, use of services and the effectiveness of the local homeless assistance system. All HUD McKinney/Vento Homeless Assistance funded programs (with few exceptions) should be participating in an HMIS. Because many grantees use different software programs to achieve this goal, the state has formed an HMIS committee to study the possibility of "bridging" the various software platforms so that unidentifiable and unduplicated information can be collected and analyzed in aggregate. That committee is chaired by Cathleen Voyer, director of housing and transportation for the Agency of Human Services. Contact her for more information on that work.
Emergency Shelter Grantees (ESG) are also required to participate in an HMIS. The State of Vermont's Agency of Human Services created an online reporting tool for ESG providers to help them meet this requirement.
In July 2004, HUD released the HMIS Data and Technical Standards Notice, which provides a framework for HMIS data collection, privacy, and security. This document addresses community questions about these standards, and provides a sample baseline privacy notice that homeless assistance providers can use to develop their community's privacy notice.
HUD has many reports and materials online that can provide communities with direction and technical assistance resources on strategies to collect information on homeless persons.
HUD also has developed a National HMIS Technical Assistance Initiative as a central location for communities to get current information, publications and HUD resources related to HMIS. It has also been designed to encourage peer-to-peer networking and interaction among grantees, communities and other stakeholders with similar implementations, that are close in geographic proximity, or that may be facing similar challenges in their implementations.
The New England states have lead the nation in many ways through an innovative approach that crosses state lines. The New England Regional Homeless Management Information System (NERHMIS) collaborative group has also created a website to highlight the work of that group.