*In 2016, Bowman Systems was acquired by Mediware Information Systems and in 2018 Mediware Information Systems announced that it became WellSky.
Table 1 at the end of this report shows that nearly half (48%) or 21 of 44 California Continuums of Care (CoC) changed HMIS software vendors during the six-year period of 2015 through 2021. Ten (10) of 23 Northern California CoCs, 2 of 8 Central California CoCs, and 9 of 13 Southern California CoCs changed HMIS software vendors. Each CoC that changed HMIS software vendor is highlighted in blue text in Table 1.
Assembly Bill (AB) 977 Homeless Program Data Reporting: Homeless Management Information System was approved by the Governor and became law a couple of months ago on September 29. The Bill requires significant changes in HMIS Program Data Reporting Requirements.
The Bill states that beginning on January 1, 2023, “a grantee or entity operating specified state homelessness programs” must enter Universal Data Elements and Common Data Elements, as defined by HUD Homeless Management Information System Data Standards. State homelessness programs include:
The Bill also states that the data entry requirements also apply to all new state homelessness programs that commence on or after July 1, 2021. The programs are defined as those “funded, in whole or in part, by the state with the express purpose of addressing or preventing homelessness or providing services to people experiencing homelessness.” The definition is to be broadly construed for the purpose of carrying out the data entry requirements.
HMISs are crucial to the success of the State of California’s Homeless Data Information System (HDIS), which will allow the state to access more accurate and timely information about homelessness in California.
HDIS is a technology solution that was launched earlier this year and allows the state “to access and compile standardized homelessness data collected by individual Continuums of Care in order to make data-driven policy decisions aimed at preventing and ending homelessness in California.” An analysis of de-identified client data, allows for improved planning and resource allocation, enabling state and local stakeholders to more effectively address the needs of individuals and families that are at-risk of or currently experiencing homelessness.
Implications for Next Steps
As state required changes in HMIS Program Data Reporting Requirements evolve, so must the capacity of the HMIS software vendor and the backend functionality of the HMIS software. Advanced data analytics enriched by visualizations is also evolving.
Recent state legislation that focused on HDIS, including AB 977, stipulates
- Understanding the occurrence and duration of homelessness across the state;
- Identifying effective interventions and sharing promising practices across CoCs;
- Providing information about how people move across CoCs to inform cross-jurisdictional approaches to addressing homelessness; and
- Identifying patterns of service usage and looking for gaps in services, including investigating how people experiencing homelessness are connected to other state-funded services.
AB 977 requires the state to
- specify the format and disclosure frequency of the required data elements;
- provide the aggregate data summaries to specified state agencies or departments within 45 days of receipt;
- match data on homelessness to programs impacting homeless recipients of state programs.
Future legislation will likely emphasize the need for further integration of local, state, and federal partnership data in order to determine how people are experiencing homelessness across the state. Future legislation will likely stress statewide service systems integration to ensure that local, state, and federal alignment and coordination of resources are informed by integrated partnership data.
Thus, CoC and HMIS software vendor capacity building should be a mutual undertaking to help CoCs respond to more challenging changes in HMIS Program Data Reporting Requirements that will likely be required in future State legislation.
Challenging changes to HMIS Program Data Reporting Requirements included in future state legislation will likely stem from an increase in data-driven policy decisions to further develop and implement a statewide strategic plan with measurable goals, objectives, and outcomes. Data-driven policy decisions will also guide future funding fueled by new legislation encouraging innovative solutions to prevent and end statewide homelessness.
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