Homeless Initiative Data Collection
Data is a collection of facts made up of numbers, words, measurements, observations and descriptions. Through community meetings, stakeholder feedback, surveys, and reports from the Homeless Management Information System, the Homeless Initiative collects and disseminates data important to understanding homelessness in our community.
Collecting Data thourgh the Homeless Management Information System
ServicePoint 5 Version Upgrade
Current Available Reports
Annual Point in Time Count
Annual Housing Inventory
Annual Homelessness Assessment Report
Contact Us
Sign Up to Participate!
Are you an agency that serves people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness? If so, we would love to have you join us in our data collection and reporting. Help us better understand community need and successes by sharing your outcomes with us. Agency Partner Form
If your agency uses HMIS, please take a moment to check your records and make sure that you have an information sharing form called a "QSOBA" signed by both your agency and the Homeless Initiative. This allows staff at the Homeless Initiative to include your agency's data when community-wide outcomes reports are pulled from HMIS. HMIS "QSOBA"
Collecting data through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
The Homeless Initiative has made a commitment to use up-to-date, local data to inform decisions, allowing for measurable results.
Many times people ask the question: Who is experiencing homelessness? How many people are experiencing homelessness? What kinds of services do people experiencing homelessness need? What is working? What isn't?
In order to best answer these questions, our community has recognized the need for consistent data collection. Using modern technology, our ability to collect data across the homeless service system is a reality. Service providers in our community can tap into a statewide computer network that has state of the art information management.
Because confindetiality is paramount, anyone experiencing homelessness that provided the information to the system signs a release, giving permission for their information to be entered into the network. Additionally, only specifically trained end-users can access the system. Even then, end-users can only access information that is directly related to the work their agency is doing.
Accessible from any computer that is connected to the internet, this computer network system - called the Homeless Management Information System, or HMIS for short - can help our community record information that will provide answers to the questions we have about who experiences homelessness, and how well we respond to homelessness in our community.
To learn more, visit the Carolina Homeless Information Network.
ServicePoint 5 Version Upgrade
We are scheduled to upgrade ServicePoint Version 5 on February 10, 2012.
Please prepare for ServicePoint to be offline from the end of business on Thursday, February 9 through the weekend. Although this full time might not be needed, it is best to be prepared. Once CHIN staff has evaluated the data transfer, we will go live again. This will most likely occur on Monday, February 13. During the first week of use, you may experience minimal network speed disruption as the conversion will be complete after a short interuption in service on Friday, February 17. Plese be patient during this transition period, once everything is set we are sure you will be please with the final product.
Technical Specifications
· An end-user license for ServicePoint
· A computer with high speed (Cable or DSL) internet connection and Dual-Core processor recommended
· If Vista – 4 Gig recommended, (2 Gig minimum)
· If XP – 2 Gig recommended (1 Gig minimum)
· Monitor with screen display set to 1024 by 768 (XGA)
· Internet browser – Google Chrome, version 11.0.696.65 or above; Mozilla Firefox, version 3.5 to 4 (soon to be 3.5, 4, 5 and beyond); Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 7 or above; Apple Safari, version 4 or 5
· The ability to access the CHIN website (www.nchomeless.org)
· Excel 2007 or higher (nonprofit based rate available through Tech Soup)
Training
All current en-users must attend a Version 5 training in order to access ServicePoint after the upgrade.
February 1, 9 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 2 p.m. sessions) 6th Floor
These trainings are only for certified end users. In order to keep them short, we're holding these for folks who are already comfortable with the sytem. If you need certification for training, you'll need to attend a regularly scheduled certification training. These will resume mid to late February.
These Version 5 trainings are only 2 hours long; therefore, it is imperative that you arrive on time and stay for the entire training.
All registration will happen through our website, www.nchomeless.org Click on the name of the training for which you would like to register. Enter your name and email address and click BOOK. You'll then confirm the booking. Each attendee must have their own registration.
Reporting
If you have an APR that is due before June 1, please notifiy us by February 1 or the program name and operating dates. As we proceed with the transition to Version 5, we will need to make arrangements in the report set-up for those programs.
Current Reports
For each report, you will find a description of the report, the questions asked on the report, the most current report from Asheville-Buncombe, and resources to learn more. If you have questions or want information, do not hesitate to contact us.
Annual Point In Time Count
The next Point In Time Count is January 25, 2012.
Point in Time Counts take place across the country and are on the same night every year, during the last week of January. This year, the Point in Time will take place on Wednesday night, January 25. These counts are conducted in order to try to ascertain how many people are homeless in our communities. The count is conducted within a 24-hour period and gathers information about persons experiencing homelessness on one given night.
2012 Point In Tim Count Survey Materials
Powerpoint from 1/18/2012 Point In Time Count Training
Individual Survey Form - provided to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness by community housing programs.
Tally Forms - submitted with individual survey forms; community housing programs report on everyone they work with who was homeless/at-risk or homelessness/housed through a homeless program on the night of 1/25/12. See below for detail:
2012 Asheville-Buncombe Point In Time Count Results
2011 Asheville-Buncombe Point In Time Count Results
2005-2010 Asheville-Buncombe Point In Time Count Results
Point in Time questions for people experiencing homelessness:
- Who did you encounter sleeping outside who is homeless?
- Who did you encounter in your program who is at risk of homelessness?
- Is the person alone or physically with other household members?
- If that person is alone, are they under 18?
- Is the person/household chronically homeless?
- Are they/do they have/have they experienced: serious mental illness, chronic substance abuse, veterans, HIV/AIDS, or domestic violence?
- Have they been discharged from the criminal justice system, behavioral health system, or health care system within 30 days prior to becoming homeless?
- Sample Point in Time Tally Sheet and Sample Individual Survey Form
More information on the Point in Time Counts:
Fact Sheet on Point in Time Counts
Conducting a Point in Time Count
Housing Inventory (EHIC)
2nd Quarter Housing Inventory Survey due August 3
Online Survey link Instructions Hard Copy of Survey
FY 2012 Housing Inventory Results
FY 2011 Housing Inventory Results
Note: If you find an error, please contact us with your specific recommemded changes.
Agencies that offer housing solutions are surveyed quarterly to determine what types of housing/how much housing is available to people experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness throughout the homeless service system. Like the Point in Time Count, this inventory provides a snapshot of what is available on the day the data was collected.
Housing Inventory Questions for Asheville-Buncombe programs:
- What type of housing inventory is available through your program?
- Is inventory existing, new, under construction, or closed?
- Is the inventory facility based, voucher based, or other?
- Who is served?
- Are special populations specifically targeted?
- Is the program funded through McKinney Vento?
- How many beds/units does the program have that are not targeted to people experiencing chronic homelessness?
- How many beds/units are targeted to people experiencing chronic homelessness?
- Are there any seasonal beds/units? If so, from when to when are the beds available?
- How many overflow beds/units does the program have?
- For each bed type - how many of those beds/units are recorded in HMIS?
- For each program - how many people total did you count during the point in time count?
More information on the Housing Inventory
Additonal resources
Annual Homeless Assessment Report
Summary of FY 2010 Asheville-Buncombe AHAR Results
National AHAR Reports
The Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) is a report to the U.S. Congress on the extent and nature of homelessness in America. The report is prepared by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and provides nationwide estimates of homelessness, including information about the demographic characteristics of homeless persons, service use patterns, and the capacity to house homeless persons. The report is based primarily on Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) data about persons who experience homelessness during a 12-month period, submitted to HUD by each community.
Annual Homeless Assessment Questions
For each Housing Type: (Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, and Permanent Supportive Housing)
- What is the bed coverage rate in HMIS?(# of year-round beds documented in HMIS divided by the # of year-round beds NOT documented in HMIS)
- How many unduplicated individuals/families were served over the entire year?
- What is the average number of unduplicated individuals/families staying in each housing type on a given night?
- How many unduplicated individuals/families accessed more than one program over the entire year?
- What was the average length of stay?
Demographic questions for individuals/families counted, also for people staying in programs for extended periods of time:
- How many people were in each household?
- What were the ages of people in each household?
- What was the gender of people in each household?
- What was the ethnicity/race of people in each household?
- What was the veteran status of people in each household?
- What was the disability status of people in each household?
Housing Status questions for the individuals/families counted:
- What was peoples' housing status/living arrangement before entering the program?
- How long had people been in that living arrangement before entering the program?
- What was the zip code of peoples' last permanent address?
Introductory Guide to the AHAR
Contact Information
Homeless Initiative
Planning & Development Department
Community Development Division
Location: Asheville City Hall, 70 Court Plaza
Mailing: PO Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28802
Office hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Email: homelessinitiative@gmail.com
Phone: 828-515-1668