Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
HMIS Historical Background
In July 2003, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a draft notice of a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). The draft notice prompted each Continuum of Care to set up an HMIS program to capture an unduplicated count of homeless individuals in the community. The draft notice specified not only what pieces of data to collect, but also procedural tasks. After receiving feedback from the community on the draft notice, HUD incorporated many changes and published the Final Notice in July 2004.
In reviewing the HUD draft notice, we determined that the current Homeless Tracking System in its current form was not going to be able to meet the specifications. A decision was made to review outside vendor software for the purpose of fulfilling the HMIS requirements. An opportunity presented itself through a unique opportunity to utilize the same HMIS application that is used by a majority of the counties in the state of Maryland.
In 2005, HUD chose 80 communities around the country to participate in an HMIS pilot, with the goal of producing the first Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR). In Maryland, HUD chose Montgomery County. Agencies operating an emergency shelter or transitional housing program within Montgomery County are required to collect the first set of HMIS data.