Author: 211OC

The HUD Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) is pleased to announce the release of a new video: CoCs and Con Plan Jurisdictions: Collaborating to Reduce Homelessness. This video focuses on the purpose and benefits of collaboration between Continuums of Care (CoCs) and Con Plan Jurisdictions.

Participants will learn:

• Collaboration-related responsibilities of CoCs and Con Plan Jurisdictions
• The significance of coordinated entry, written standards, performance measurement, and strategic resource allocation in facilitating collaboration
• How collaboration contributes to success in reducing the length and incidence of homelessness

This video targets CoC leadership, as well as Con Plan Jurisdiction staff involved in developing the Consolidated Plan or administering Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) funds.

To explore this new training video and other related CoC resources, please visit the CoC Toolkit – CoC Governance and Structure.

View the Marketing Flyer announcing the release of this new video.

Additional CoC Program tools and resources are located on the CoC Program Toolkit Page. Resources are provided in a variety of formats, including online self-paced trainings, broadcasts, podcasts, videos, and presentations.

HUD’s original email.

When? February 15th, 2017 from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Where? The CASA Training Room (1505 E 17th Street Santa Ana, CA 92705)

If you have any agenda items you would like discussed, please send an email to hmis-helpdesk@211oc.org.

We hope to see you there!

The Chronically Homeless Determination Tool has been updated to match the new HUD Data Standards. To use the tool, please click here. We appreciate your patience while we completed the updates to the tool, and we hope you continue to find it useful!

As a reminder, 211OC has also created a Family Type Determination Tool, which can be found here.

How often do you use either of these tools? Are there other kinds of tools you would like to see on ochmis.org? Please send your feedback to hmis-helpdesk@211oc.org

Data continues to be an important component of making progress towards the goal of ending homelessness. With this increased focus, HUD is working to provide more tools for communities to better assess the quality of their data and provide more data for both national and local data analyses. Your community will need to review the following deadlines and resources to prepare for the Housing Inventory Count (HIC), Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, System Performance Measures (SPM) report, new data quality reporting framework, and Annual Performance Report (APR) requirements.

New Data Quality Resources

HUD expects communities are monitoring data quality on a continuous basis in collaboration with their Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Lead and end users. To assist with this, HUD recently provided HMIS vendors with detailed instructions on programming tables for a new data quality framework. This framework will form the building blocks of data quality for all systems. Communities will see this data quality framework throughout many HUD reports, including the SPM submission, APR, and future reports.

• The specifications for the framework have been built into a forthcoming version of the HMIS Standard Reporting Terminology Glossary. Vendors are expected to have completed programming by April 1, 2017.
• Communities will be able to run all tables in the data quality framework for varying time periods and for individual projects, various projects types, and across the entire Continuum of Care (CoC).
• HMIS Leads should work with their vendors to determine when they can access this new data quality framework.
• Once available, HMIS Leads should familiarize themselves with the framework and incorporate it into their Data Quality monitoring plans and processes.

Data Submission Activity	Dates
The Homelessness Data Exchange (HDX) open for PIT and HIC data submission	March 1 – May 1, 2017
New Data Quality Framework available (HMIS vendors expected to have completed programming of new HUD-approved Data Quality Framework)	April 1, 2017
New APR requirements in effect (HMIS vendors expected to have completed programming of new report; new submission portal to be activated)	April 1, 2017
HDX open for SPM data submission	April 3 – May 31, 2017

• CoCs: Review the list of timelines and resources. Work with CoC Program recipients and HMIS Leads to prepare for annual and new reporting requirements.
• HMIS Leads: Work with your vendor to ensure you have access to the necessary reports and materials for your CoC to meet the upcoming deadlines. Communicate regularly with the Continuum and CoC Program recipients to ensure stakeholders are informed and prepared.
• CoC Program Recipients: Participate in PIT/HIC, monitor your project’s data quality, and prepare for new APR requirements.

APR Updates

Beginning in April 2017, HUD will begin requiring CoC Program grant recipients to submit their APR data through a new online database – the Sage HMIS Reporting Repository (Sage). Communities will no longer submit APRs in e-snaps. This change in systems will apply to all CoC homeless assistance grants (e.g., Supportive Housing Program, Shelter Plus Care, Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy Program, CoC Program) administered by the Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) – regardless of when they were initially funded. The APR has been updated to do the following:

• Allow CSV imports of aggregate data about persons served;
• Integrate project-level performance data into the body of the report;
• Update the data quality components to be consistent with the new HUD-approved Data Quality framework; and
• Provide programming specifications for population-specific questions, among other updates.

HMIS Leads should work with vendors to access necessary reports and materials in preparation for these APR resources on April 1, 2017. HMIS Leads and CoC Program grant recipients should be working together now to prepare for changes to the APR format and submission process. More details, including training and resources, about the new report and system will be released shortly.

System Performance Measures Updates

For the second year, CoCs will be asked to submit their SPM reports via HDX for the fiscal year 10/1/2015 – 9/30/2016.

• Based on concerns raised during last year’s data submission process, CoCs will have the opportunity to re-submit their SPM for the period 10/1/2014-9/30/2015. Instructions will be provided in both HDX and data submission guidance about how to accomplish this.
• A new Data Quality tab has been added to the SPM module in HDX. This tab will require manual data entry of some results from the newly created Data Quality framework.
• Data submission webinars and System Administrator office hours will be held and announced via separate listserv notices.

Questions?

If you have questions about these reporting requirements, please submit them through the HUD Exchange Ask a Question (AAQ) portal. On Step 2 of the question submission process, select the appropriate report or reporting system in the “My question is related to” dropdown.

To read HUD’s original email, please click here.

We are aware of the multiple extra pages on the Program Entry Page, Questions tab, and are working to fix the issue. We apologize for any inconvenience. We will post an update when the tab has been fixed.

The Program Entry Page, Questions tab, is now displaying the correct number of questions and pages.

To continue to meet the evolving needs of homeless Veterans, the VA’s Homeless Providers GPD Program is undergoing a transformation which involves implementing a competitive and time-limited grant process that will require currently funded GPD community providers to reapply for funding so that GPD grantees are located where their services are needed most by homeless Veterans. The GPD program provides nonprofit organizations, state and local government agencies and tribal governments with the resources they need to develop and sustain supportive programs and/or services that help homeless Veterans find stable housing, gain skills to increase their income and achieve independence. The new competitive process will give VA greater flexibility to allocate resources and the agility to respond to evolving best practices for homeless services and programs.

Applications will be rated based on a variety of factors including the extent in which the agency is a part of an ongoing community-wide process and how it is interacting with the local Continuum of Care (CoC). GPD providers have been encouraged to reach out to CoCs and CoCs are equally encouraged to proactively reach out to local GPD providers to discuss how to better integrate their efforts into the CoCs overall efforts to end Veteran homelessness.

For more information regarding the new GPD Program NOFA, please go to: Grant and Per Diem Program page.

Message from VA Secretary Robert McDonald

The VA recently released a video-message from VA Secretary Robert McDonald announcing a concentrated 30-day effort by VA staff and partners to house as many homeless Veterans in their communities as possible. To accomplish this, Secretary McDonald charged VA’s network of federal, local, and nongovernmental partners to target available housing and supportive services to the nation’s most vulnerable Veterans. Some of the actions highlighted included prioritizing unsheltered Veterans for immediate placement into safe housing and organizing homeless stand downs and rapid rehousing events.

For more information on how to help Veterans in your community find permanent housing over the next 30-days, please download this one-page overview of the 30-day surge and contact your local VA medical center to find out about specific needs of homeless Veterans in your community.

To read HUD’s original email, please click here.

HUD has posted HOPWA Performance Profiles for the fourth quarter of the Federal Fiscal Year 2015-2016. An updated set of profiles for the first, second, and third quarters has also been posted with the most current drawdown/balance available.

The Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) performance profiles are generated for all agencies receiving HOPWA formula or competitive grants. Performance Profiles are available at the national level and by individual grantee. In particular, the reports provide a grant summary of beneficiary outcomes data and output data for activity types (housing assistance, housing development, supportive services, housing information services, and administration and management services).

Note – Data collection and validation actions are pending with some reports. A performance profile with no data indicates that the grantee has not submitted its performance report.

To see HUD’s original email, please click here.

Last month, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sent a message to all State Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) Contacts and PATH Providers providing guidance on the PATH Annual Report and alerted PATH contacts to a recent update of the PATH Program HMIS Manual. The entire message is included in this listserv in an effort to make sure all communities receive this updated guidance:

December 22, 2016

Greetings State PATH Contacts (SPCs) and PATH Providers,

SAMHSA and the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are pleased to announce the release of updated guidance to further enhance efforts to integrate PATH into local Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS).

In November 2013, SAMHSA released the Technical Assistance Plan for PATH Program Participation in HMIS, which describes SAMHSA’s goals for PATH participation in HMIS. SAMHSA expects full PATH participation in HMIS by the end of each state/territory’s fiscal year (FY) 2016. Full participation is considered to mean entering all PATH client data directly into the HMIS designated by the local Continuum of Care (CoC), both for client care coordination and generating the PATH Annual Report.

In addition, SAMHSA expects PATH providers to participate in their local CoC to engage in program planning and implementation activities, discussions regarding effective client service coordination, and discussions to solve issues and challenges related to PATH data collection in HMIS.

The primary resource for PATH-specific guidance on HMIS is the PATH Program HMIS Manual, which was recently updated by HUD. All SPCs and PATH providers should review this resource because it contains information on key topics, including PATH project set-up in HMIS and PATH data collection definitions and expectations. During SAMHSA’s January and February HMIS Learning Community meetings, there will be a brief training on this new resource and the opportunity to ask any questions you may have on the topic.

HUD has also released HMIS Programming Specifications for the New PATH Annual Report. Vendors are required to have the new PATH Annual Report programmed into their HMIS software by April 1, 2017, to ensure PATH providers have sufficient time to generate their FY 2017 Annual Report and any FY 2017 progress reports that they are working to submit to their SPC. SAMHSA understands that this means PATH providers completing their FY 2017 progress reports may not have the data they need in time for the first two quarters of the year. SAMHSA asks that providers complete as much of those reports as they can when they are due and do not submit those reports unless they have all required data from HMIS (meaning that some will not submit progress reports until after April 1, 2017). More guidance on this will also be shared during the January HMIS Learning Community meetings.

SAMHSA will release more information on its HMIS Learning Communities in the coming days and looks forward to convening these again. The PATH HMIS Learning Communities are designed to assist states/territories in achieving these goals and for participants to share successes and challenges related to this transition. Periodic webinars are also offered to present information related to overcoming common challenges associated with PATH programs’ use of HMIS. SAMHSA expects SPCs and PATH providers to both fully participate in all PATH HMIS Learning Community meetings and webinars.

SAMHSA acknowledges that most PATH providers have been able to successfully use HMIS for data collection and reporting efforts but that there are still considerable challenges for many. SAMHSA appreciates all efforts that have been made and will continue to provide support for these efforts through its Homeless and Housing Resource Network (HHRN) team. If you are not familiar with your state’s point of contact (PoC) for HHRN, please review the HHRN contact list for PATH.

Thank you for your dedication to this important work and for your efforts to improve PATH data collection to ensure the continued success of the PATH program.

Sincerely,

Caroline B. Fernandez, M.S.W.
Director, PATH Program
Homeless Programs Branch
Center for Mental Health Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

To read HUD’s original email, please click here.

Any changes to data made in HMIS will not be reflected in Management or AdHoc reports until tomorrow, 12/30/2016. We apologize for any inconvenience.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is holding a series of webinars for Continuum of Care (CoC) Collaborative Applicants and providers, Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) recipients and sub-recipients, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids (HOPWA) grantees to educate participants about the requirements of the Equal Access Rule and Gender Identity Rule and how to ensure that projects operate in compliance with these rules. This webinar will also provide “LGBT Language 101” training to aid participants in increasing their knowledge and skills in using appropriate, inclusive language with all clients they serve. Participants will be introduced to HUD’s TA materials to aid their compliance efforts, including a self-assessment tool, staff and volunteer training scenarios, and a policies and procedures guidebook (all available on the HUD Exchange LGBT Resource page).

Webinar Dates

• Tuesday, January 10, 2017: 12:00–1:30 PM EST
• Wednesday, January 18, 2017: 2:30–4:00 PM EST

PLEASE NOTE: This is strictly a “Save the Date” message. A second announcement will be made in early January when registration is open. Registrants should self-select the session they prefer to attend. Content will not vary across sessions.

Who Should Attend?

Due to the large demand for the November 2016 webinars, HUD is hosting two additional sessions for those who were unable to attend. All programs funded under CoC, ESG, HOPWA, CDBG, HOME and Housing Trust Fund are required to follow the 2016 Gender Identity Rule as well as the continuing requirements of the HUD-wide 2012 Equal Access Rule. Together, these rules mandate placing and serving persons in accordance with their gender identity. A recent study indicated that less than 30% of emergency shelters appropriately enrolled transgender women in accordance with their gender identity. This training will focus on educating the funders and providers of residential projects so that transgender and LGBT participants are appropriately enrolled each time they present to a project or coordinated entry with a need for homeless housing and services.

Training Point of Contact

TJ Winfield | 240-582-3607 | EAR.Training@cloudburstgroup.com

To find out more information about upcoming trainings and access materials from previously held trainings, go to HUD Exchange Training and Events.

To see HUD’s original email announcement, please click here.