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All projects housed in our HMIS must collect the Universal Data Elements (UDEs) for each client being served. The UDEs are the basis for producing unduplicated estimates of the number of people experiencing homelessness. This includes where clients access services, basic demographics, and patterns of service use, including information on housing history, shelter stays, and homelessness over time. How to accurately record demographic information will be discussed in this article. 

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General

When entering a client into a project, the universal data elements are required fields that must be filled out.

All questions have response options of;  “Data not collected”, “Client doesn’t know”, “Client prefers not to answer” or some combination of these options.

• “Data not collected” – Select this response if the client was not asked the question, or if their answer to the question is unknown.

• “Client doesn’t know” – If the client is not sure of the answer and therefore cannot answer the question, select this response. 

• “Client prefers not to answer” – If the client does not wish to answer the question, select this response. The client is allowed to refuse to answer for any reason. If after some time a relationship is established with the client and the service provider feels it would be appropriate to ask the client if they would now be comfortable answering this question, the response can be changed. However, it is important to respect the client’s choice and not ask repeatedly. 

 

Demographics

Entered at Creation of Client Record

Name, Social Security Number (SSN), and Veteran Status are fields that are completed during the creation of a client record instead of Entry Assessments. 

If a record already exists for the client and their Name, SSN, and Veteran Status have already been entered, the HMIS user should always check that what is in HMIS matches any records they might have, and is correct according to the client. 

Although they are initially recorded by the provider creating the client’s record in HMIS, once entered, Name, SSN, and Veteran Status can only be changed by users at the Admin level. If any discrepancies are found or if any updates are needed, please contact the HMIS Team at HAWNY. 

Entered Within An Entry Assessment

The fields listed below should be entered within an Entry Assessment when the client(s) enter into a project. They should not be entered in the Client Profile tab within a client record. They will auto populate here once entered in an Entry Assessment. 

 

If another provider has previously completed an entry assessment for the client, and the client has an active ROI, the fields listed below may already be filled in. If they are not, you will have to enter the appropriate responses. 

 

• Date of Birth – Use the format MM/DD/YYYY.

• Date of Birth Type – Note that partial birth dates can be entered if exact birthdate is unknown. Typically, this is entered as 01/01/YEAR.

• Race and Ethnicity – Enter the appropriate answer based on the response from the client. More than one race and ethnicity can be selected by holding down the “ctrl” button on the keyboard while clicking responses. 

• Does the Client Have a Disabling Condition – A disabling condition, as defined by the HUD HMIS Data Standards Manual is one or more of the following:
  • “A physical, mental, or emotional impairment, including an impairment caused by alcohol or drug abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, or brain injury that:
    • • Is expected to be long-continuing or of indefinite duration;
      • Substantially impedes the individual’s ability to live independently; AND
      • Could be improved by the provision of more suitable housing conditions.

• • A developmental disability, as defined in section 102 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15002); or
  • The disease of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or any condition arising from the etiologic agency for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV).”
  • While most projects rely on self reporting of a disabling condition, PSH projects and projects that serve specific populations (i.e. individuals with HIV/AIDS, etc.) require documentation verifying an individual has a disabling condition. Guidance on what does and does not constitute proof of a disabling condition can be found in the U.S. Department of Social Security Administration website within their Code of Federal Regulations § 404.1502. 

• Relationship to Head of Household – This question is referring to the client’s documented household within HMIS and/or the individuals the client is seeking housing/shelter with. If the client is unsure and their household information is up-to-date, this can be checked under the “Households” tab in their client profile. If the client is entering the project unaccompanied by anyone else, the response should be “Self”. There can be only one Head of Household per entry. 

• Enrollment CoC – There is one option to select, “NY-508”. This is the appropriate CoC for our region.

 

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Related Articles

Requesting Client Name or Social Security Number (SSN) Changes

Creating a Client Record 

Adding a Project Entry

Changing the System Date (Back Date Mode)

Switching Between Projects (Enter Data As)

U.S. Department of Social Security Administration Code of Federal Regulations (Disabling Condition Guidance)

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

If the UDE fields are already filled in, do I need to make any changes?

The UDE fields may already be filled in according to a previous project entry. You should always check to be sure they are still accurate and up to date with any changes that may have occurred since then and then edit appropriately.

 

What if a client does not want to answer a UDE question?

The client has a right to refuse to answer any UDE question. A client should not be forced to answer any question they do not feel comfortable answering. 

Sometimes, after a rapport has been established with a client, you may feel as though the client would be open to changing their response. If this is the case, you can reach out to the client and ask if they are willing to provide the information. If they say yes, update their information in HMIS. If they say no, respect their choice and leave the response in HMIS as is. 

 

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Still having trouble?

If you are still having issues understanding or entering demographic UDEs, please contact the HMIS Administration Team at [email protected].