January 2026

Newsletter

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HMIS Monthly Calendar

New and Upcoming in HMIS

Multi-Factor Authentication Updates

Due to ongoing challenges with the text message provider supported by our software vendor, Multi-Factor Authentication will be transitioning to email-only beginning January 19th.

Please ensure that your work email connected to your email address is correct and that you have access to your email when logging into HMIS. We will be reaching out directly to users who have their cell phone number on their account to ensure they are aware of the transition as well. The system will require authentication every 14 days, and each time a new device is used to access your HMIS account.

Please reach out to the HMIS Team if you have any questions or concerns.

HMIS Data Standards Updates

The FY2026 HMIS Data Standards Manual was officially released by HUD on December 16, 2025.

In accordance with their previous messaging, data quality for the new data elements will be considered beginning March 16, 2026. Agencies are encouraged to review the document by clicking the button below for guidance on how to collect and enter new data elements.

Please reach out to the HMIS Team by submitting a ticket if you have any questions or concerns.

2026 Data Standards Manual

HUD Universal Assessment

The HMIS Team will be revising the language of several questions on the HUD Universal Assessment. The questions slated for revision are those used to determine chronic homelessness.

Modifying the wording of these questions is intended to enhance clarity for both the assessor and the client. This change is expected to improve the quality of data collected for determining chronic homeless status.

The HMIS Team will conduct training sessions addressing both the Data Quality Thresholds and the amendments to the HUD Universal Assessment on February 11th from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and on February 12th from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Calendar invitations will be distributed shortly. The revised HUD Universal Assessment will be implemented on March 1st.

The questions that will be changed on the HUD Universal Assessment are:

Prior Living Situation Type of Residence will be changed to “Where did you sleep last night?"

Length of stay in the prior living situation will be changed “How long have you been sleeping there?”

Approximate date this episode of homelessness started will be changed to “What is the most recent date that you began sleeping in a shelter or a place not meant for habitation?”

New Data Quality Thresholds

Following a review of current HMIS data and discussions with CoC subcommittees, the HMIS Team has established new Data Quality Thresholds. These new thresholds are designed to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of data within HMIS.

The implementation of these thresholds is also expected to significantly reduce the time required for data cleanup prior to federal reporting.

The HMIS Team will host training sessions on the Data Quality Thresholds on February 11th from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and on February 12th from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

Formal calendar invitations for these training sessions will be distributed shortly. The Data Quality Thresholds are scheduled for official implementation on March 1st.

Project Type	HoH Errors	PII Errors	Univ Data Errors	Destination	Income
CE	0%	10%	15%	10%	15%
SH, ES, TH	0.00%	5%	5%	10%	10%
PSH, RRH, Prevention	0.00%	5%	5%	5%	5%
SO	0.00%	5%	10%	25%	10%
SSO	0.00%	10%	20%	40%	20%

These numbers are based on the current data in HMIS along with the data quality standards set by HUD and federal reports.

New Data Definition Approved

The CoC Board of Directors has recently approved a new data definition intended to help our community better analyze returns to homelessness.

Becoming Homeless after Prevention Intervention will be defined as:

Number of new enrollments within the reporting period that meet the following criteria:

1. HoH exited from a prevention project (most recent prevention enrollment) with a resolution service OR has a Permanent Housing Exit Destination within X months prior to the enrollment begin date.

2. HoH meets the definition of homelessness.

3. This is the HoH's first time meeting the definition of homelessness since exiting from the prevention project

Privacy & Security Training - Last Call

With the holiday season completed, users who have not yet completed the mandatory Privacy & Security training will begin to receive emails requesting availability for new sessions. Users who have not completed a session by Saturday, January 31st will be deactivated.

New users as of Nov 7th are exempt, as New User training will cover this material.

If you would like to discuss alternative times or options for you or your team, or if you have any further questions about this training, please reach out to Security & Compliance Specialist, Ashley Keogh.

Privacy & Security Training

PIT/HIC -Point in Time and Housing Inventory Count

The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Team will be providing PIT/HIC live webinar training on:

Wed. January 21, 2026 at 10am-11am

Thurs. January 22, 2026 at 1pm-2pm

A link to the Teams webinar will be sent to agency POC's with a training guide on how to run reports.

The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness. HUD requires each Continuum of Care (CoC) to conduct an annual count in the last 10 days of January. This year's count will be the night of Tues. January 27, 2026.

Unsheltered count -Persons living in a Place not meant for Habitation.
Conducted by Close to Home (CTH) every year.
Done by community volunteers that go out on the night of the count to survey persons living on the streets, in vehicles, abandon buildings, etc.

Sheltered count -Persons in shelter (ES, SH and TH only)
Collected using HMIS data.
Non-HMIS project client count data are collected by CTH.

The HMIS PIT Report is used to collect information about all sheltered homeless individuals within the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

The following project types are included, regardless of funding source:

· ES: Emergency Shelters

· SH: Safe Haven

· TH: Transitional Housing

On Wed. January 28th, run the PIT report for all your projects.

Review the client list to ensure all the clients should be counted.
Click client level drilldown, if needed.
Verify Household composition:
Households with at Least One Adult and One Child
Households without Children
Children Only Households, if applicable.
Review and verify all Demographics (age, race, etc.), Chronic Homeless status, Veteran information and Youth (Parenting and Unaccompanied)

· Export the Parent Report to excel and send it to CTH:

o Alfonzo Galvan at alfonzogalvan@closetohomesa.org

o Joshua Yates at joshuayates@closetohomesa.org

Housing Inventory Count (HIC) is the count of our CoC’s housing capacity and inventory. It is the total count of units and beds in housing projects in our community, regardless of whether they enter data into HMIS or not.

All agencies in our CoC, who’s main focus is to serve homelessness (homelessness has to be the criteria and main focus of the agency) will submit their project’s bed and unit inventory information to HUD (via CTH).

The HIC collects information about all the beds and units in each Continuum of Care homeless system, categorized by Project Types. Beds and units reported in the HIC are dedicated to serving homeless persons, or for permanent housing projects, dedicated for persons who were homeless at entry.

The bed and unit inventory in HMIS must match the bed and unit inventory reported on the HIC (In HUD's Homelessness Database Exchange -HDX 2.0).

The following project types are included, regardless of funding source:

ES: Emergency Shelters
TH: Transitional Housing
SH: Safe Haven
PH: Permanent Housing
PSH: Permanent Supportive Housing
RRH: Rapid Re-housing
OPH: Other Permanent Housing

Prior to Tues. Jan. 27^th, run the HIC report for all your projects.

Verify Bed and Unit capacity of each household type:
Households w/Children
Households w/o Children
Children Only Households
Verify Client’s Move-In Dates are entered correctly. -All Permanent Housing project types (RRH, PH, PSH) are required to have a Move-In Date.

o Run the ‘Missing Move-In Date’ Report to see who is missing their Move-in Date.

Review the sheltered PIT Counts by Program information
Click client level drilldown, if needed.

· If you find your HIC bed/unit inventory needs to be updated, please submit a ticket to the HMIS Team at HMIS.Support@havenforhope.org

On Wed. Jan. 28^th, run the HIC report for all your projects.

· Export the Parent Report to excel and send it to CTH:

o Alfonzo Galvan at alfonzogalvan@closetohomesa.org

o Joshua Yates at joshuayates@closetohomesa.org

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HMIS Team

Vice President of Programs | David Huete

HMIS Director | Nina Gall

HMIS Business Systems Analyst | Jenni Hernandez

HMIS Security & Compliance Specialist | Ashley Boyer

HMIS Training Coordinator | Gloria Collins

HMIS Systems Administrator | Spencer Walker

HMIS Database Administrator| Villian Asong

HMIS Data Analyst | Jose Marines

HMIS Application Support Specialist | James Moses

HMIS Senior Data Analyst | Lori Stewart

Coordinated Entry Specialist & Data Quality Analyst | Tracie Dixon

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