What is the Homeless Management Information System?
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that each metropolitan area use a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). HMIS is a database that collects and organizes specific data on people experiencing homelessness and the housing and homeless services that they receive. Collecting standardized data helps us better understand homelessness and allows us to measure progress towards specific goals.
Since 2012, All Chicago has been elected by Chicago’s Continuum of Care to administer Chicago’s HMIS. In our role as administrator, we:
- Collect standardized data on homelessness from 89 partner agencies
- Monitor and improve data quality on more than 400,000 unduplicated client records
- Provide trainings and help desk support for more than 1,120 database users
- Measure progress towards specific goals in preventing and ending homelessness
- Analyze aggregate data and publish data dashboards
- Share trends to drive discussion, strategy, policy, and funding – at federal and local levels
- Submit reports to HUD, such as the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems and Annual Homeless Assessment Report
- Develop and monitor HMIS policies and procedures, in partnership with the HMIS Committee
- Administer day-to-day HMIS operations, including vendor agreements and contracts
HMIS Users Only
- Log in to the HMIS website
- Visit the HMIS Help Desk
- Sign up for trainings via the Training Portal
- View the HMIS Agency Participation Agreement
- Access the Standard Operating Procedures
- View the Data Quality Plan
- Access the HMIS Privacy and Consent Forms
