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What is the Central Sierra Continuum of Care (CSCoC) Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)?

A Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is an online database that enables organizations to collect data on the services they provide to people experiencing homelessness and people who are at risk for homelessness.

 

The HMIS has state-of-the art security features that ensure data remains strictly confidential; data is only provided to other agencies upon the permission of the client.

 

The CA-526 uses this data to generate numerous types of reports that improve the ability of local organizations to provide access to housing and services, and strengthen our efforts to end homelessness. No identifiable information is included in these reports.

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Who Uses the HMIS?

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires any organization that provides services to homeless persons or those at risk of homelessness to enter data into the HMIS System.

Several examples include:

  • Emergency shelters

  • Transitional housing providers

  • Permanent supportive housing providers

  • SSVF Veterans Services

  • Rapid Re-Housing

  • Homeless Prevention Services

  • County Housing programs

  • MHSA Housing Programs

 

Our goal is to incorporate the data collected from all of these organizations in order to create a comprehensive view of homelessness in our service area so that we can better serve those in need.

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Why is the HMIS Necessary?

The CSCoC/HMIS uses data and reporting to meet the following objectives:

  1. Help those experiencing homelessness in CSCoC’s service area achieve economic self- sufficiency.

  2. Help those that are homeless gain stable housing.

  3. Preserve community funding and resources.

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Who Benefits From the HMIS?

Benefits for men, women, children and veterans who experience homelessness include:

  • A decrease in duplicative intakes and assessments

  • Streamlined referrals to all housing service providers

  • Coordinated case management

 

Benefits for partnering agencies that have housing programs include:

  • Tracking client outcomes

  • Coordinating services, internally among agency programs, and externally with other providers

  • Preparing financial and programmatic reports for funders, boards, and other stakeholders

  • Information for program design decisions

 

Benefits for public policy makers and advocates include:

  • Understanding the extent and scope of homelessness

  • Unduplicated count

  • Identifying service gaps

  • Informing systems design and policy decisions

  • Development of a forum for addressing community-wide
    issues

 

Finally, HMIS meets a federal mandate, thus improving CA-526’s chances of continuing to receive at least its current level of HUD ESC/CSC funding.

 

Central Sierra Continuum of Care - CA-526 Covers the areas of Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, and Tuolumne counties.

 

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