Mind Your Data: Exit Destinations!

Dear Providers,

Welcome back to the Mind Your Data Series, a new training series focused on improving data quality one element at a time. This month, we're spotlighting one of the most critical HMIS elements - Exit Destinations.

Exit Destinations help us understand what happens to participants after they exit the program and are essential for measuring outcomes, ensuring funding, and identifying service needs across the CoC.

HUD-Approved Exit Destination Categories

Category	Examples
Permanent Housing	• Rental by client (with/without subsidy) • Owned by client (with/without assistance) • Staying with family/friends (permanent) • Moved from one HOPWA funded project to HOPWA PH
Interim Housing	• Emergency Shelter • Transitional Housing • Hotel/motel (paid by client or voucher) • Staying with family/friends (temporary) • Residential project or halfway house with no homeless criteria • Host Home (non-crisis) • Moved from one HOPWA funded project to HOPWA TH
Institutional Settings	• Foster care home/group home • Hospital or other non-psychiatric medical facility • Jail, prison, juvenile detention • Substance abuse or detox facility • Long-term care facility or nursing home • Psychiatric hospital or other psychiatric facility
Homeless Situations	• Place not meant for habitation • Emergency shelter, including hotel or motel paid for with emergency shelter voucher, Host Home shelter • Safe Haven
Other	• Deceased • Other (use only if no category applies) • Client Doesn’t Know • Client prefers not to answer • Data not Collected (the data was never collected at all) • No Ext Interview Completed (used when the participant could not be reached or declined to complete an exit interview)

Do's and Don'ts

✅ Do’s

❌ Don’ts

• Ensure the destination is accurate based on the client's response

• Ensure this and other exit information is put into HMIS timely

• Ensure any applicable documentation is kept on file

• If the client disappears or is otherwise unable to complete an exit interview, please select: No Exit Interview Completed.

• Never choose "Other" for the exit destination

• Make assumptions based on limited information

• If you are not sure what to choose, please submit a ticket to LAHSA's Enterprise Ticketing System.

Accurate Exit Destinations strengthens the entire homelessness response system. When in doubt, consult HMIS Data Standards or submit a ticket on LAHSA's Enterprise Ticketing System .

What You Can Do:

Review your agency’s Exit Destination errors in the User Level Data Quality Dashboard under the Entry & Exit Table.
Use the User Level DQ Dashboard Guide to help you clean up any exit destination issues.
Join our Weekly Office Hours – Every Thursday 2:00 – 3:00PM

Let's make our data as meaningful as the work you do every day.

Thank you for your partnership,

LAHSA Data Integrity Team

LAHSA is a joint powers authority of the City and County of Los Angeles, created in 1993 to address the problem of homelessness in Los Angeles County. LAHSA is the lead agency in the HUD-funded Los Angeles Continuum of Care, and coordinates and manages federal, state, county, and city funds for programs providing shelter, housing, and services to people experiencing homelessness.

Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority