---

All projects 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. This article will discuss how to accurately record client responses to Housing History UDEs as well as the two housing history questions required by our CoC, NY-508. The CoC Specific Housing Questions are not UDEs, but they are required for every project in our region. 

---

General

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

Some 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. 

 

Entry/Exit Tab

Entry – Project Start Date

The project start date should be entered within the Entry/Exit tab of a client’s record. The start date, day, month, and year, represents the date at which the client begins being assisted by the project as defined by the specific project type. 

 

Street Outreach: Date of first contact with the client.

Emergency Shelter: Date of the night the client first stayed in the shelter.

Safe Haven and Transitional Housing: Date the client moves in and spends their first night at the residence. 

Permanent Housing and Rapid Re-Housing: Date the client was admitted to the project. Admittance meaning…

• The client meets the admission criteria;
• The client indicates they want to be housed in the project; and
• The client is able to receive services and housing through the project – the project should have an opening housing opportunity or reasonably expect to have one within a short and sensible amount of time. 

Other Projects: Including but not limited to: Services Only, Day Shelter, Homelessness Prevention, Coordinated Entry, etc. Generally, the date the client first began working with the project and/or began receiving project services. 

 

Housing history

The questions in this section are logic based, meaning that they may appear and disappear based on the answers to other questions within this section. If they do not appear, they do not need to be answered.

 

Prior Living Situation 

Select the appropriate response from the dropdown menu that describes the most recent living situation of the client before this particular project entry. This should be where the client stayed the night immediately before their entry. Note that different individuals may have different responses, even if they are entering the project as a household. 

Length of Stay in Previous Place

This describes the length of time the client spent at the most recent place they were sleeping. This should be the length of time the client spent at the location answered for “Prior Living Situation”. 

Approximate Date This Episode of Homelessness Started

Although the previous two questions encompass only the most recent living situation, this question encompasses the totality of the most recent episode of homelessness, even if it involves a change of location. The words “This Episode” refer to the episode of homelessness that the client is currently experiencing. Therefore, the date this episode started should go back to the most recent time the client was housed. Homelessness is a continuous period of time spent on the streets, in emergency shelters, in safe havens, or traveling between those places.  One episode of homelessness begins when the client becomes unhoused and ends when the client obtains some form of housing. If the client becomes homeless again, this will start a new episode of homelessness. 

See FAQs below for a detailed example.

Regardless of Where They Stayed Last Night – Number of Times the Client Has Been on the Streets, in ES, or SH in the Past Three Years Including Today

This question is not just regarding their most recent living situation. It accounts for the past three years of the client’s life, and how many times they experienced homelessness during that time, including today. Essentially, how many episodes of homelessness has the client experienced in the last 3 years?

(Example: If a client says that one year ago they lived in an ES for two months, then moved in with family for three months, then lived on the street for 3 months, the appropriate response to this question would be two times). 

Total Number of Months Homeless on the Street, in ES or SH in the Past Three Years

This question is not just regarding their most recent living situation, it accounts for the past three years of the client’s life and how many total months they were homeless during that time, including today. If a client was experiencing homelessness for at least one day during the calendar month, that month should be counted.

 

Housing History Continued

 

Primary Reason Homeless

Describes the main reason that the client is experiencing this episode of homelessness.

Zip Code of Last Permanent Address

Zip code of the last location where the client was stably residing. 

Housing Move-in Date

This question has its own Knowledge Base article that can be located here, Adding a Housing Move-in Date (HMID). 

In short, PSH and RRH projects both assist clients to become stably housed. To mark the point in which clients exit homelessness and become permanently housed, a Housing Move-in Date (HMID) must be entered into HMIS. The article reviews how to enter a HMID as well as the criteria that must be met for HMIS to count clients as being housed. If HMID’s are not entered correctly, your clients will still appear to be experiencing homelessness in HMIS.

 

Entry/Exit Tab Continued

Exit – Project End Date

The project end date should be entered within the Entry/Exit tab of a client’s record.  The exit date, day, month, and year, represents the date at which the client ceased occupancy or service through the project.

Street Outreach: 

• If there has been no contact with the client in the last 60 days, use the Back Date mode to exit the client 30 days after the last date of contact.
• If the client has left the area or communicates they are leaving the project, use the date you received this information as the exit date.
• If the client has moved into permanent housing, use the Move-in Date as the exit date.

Emergency Shelter: 

• If the client is not currently staying at the shelter or hotel/motel provided by the project, use the Back Date mode to exit the client on the last date you can confirm they stayed at the location.
• If the client has left the area or communicates they are leaving the project, use the date you received this information as the exit date.
• If the client has moved into permanent housing, use the Move-in Date as the exit date.

Safe Haven and Transitional Housing: 

• If the client is not currently staying at the residence provided by the project, use the Back Date mode to exit the client on the last date you can confirm they stayed at the location.
• If the client has left the area or communicates they are leaving the project, use the date you received this information as the exit date.
• If the client has moved into permanent housing, use the Move-in Date as the exit date.

Permanent Housing and Rapid Re-Housing: 

• If the client has successfully completed the project, use the last date of eligible rental assistance as the exit date.
• If there has been no contact with the client in the last 30 days, use the last date of eligible rental assistance as the exit date.
• If the client has left the area or communicates they are leaving the project, the last date of eligible rental assistance as the exit date.

Other Projects: Including but not limited to: Services Only, Day Shelter, Homelessness Prevention, Coordinated Entry, etc. Generally, the date the client last worked with the project and/or received project services. 

Exit – Destination

Destination refers to where the client will stay immediately after they exit the project. If staff receive new or previously unknown information about a client’s exit destination post data entry, exit destination can and should be updated in the system. 

 

---

Related Articles

Changing the System Date (Back Date Mode)

Switching Between Projects (Enter Data As)

Adding a Project Entry

Definition of Homeless

Adding a Housing Move-In Date (HMID)

Adding a Project Exit 

SO, RRH, ES, PSH, TH, HP, and SSO Master Workflows can be found in the “Project Workflows” section of the Knowledge Base 

 

---

Frequently Asked Questions

I am still confused about the Housing History questions. How do I know what information to enter?

Here is an example:

A client tells you that two months ago (01/01/2024), they were living at home with family. Then, an event occurred on 02/01/2024 that caused them to live on the street for two weeks. On 02/15/2024, they stayed at an ES for two weeks. Now (03/01/2024), they are speaking with you and entering a new project. 

The questions “Prior Living Situation” and “Length of Stay in Previous Place” only pertain to their most recent living situation, that being the ES stay. Their approximate date of their most recent episode of homelessness accounts for the entire most recent episode of homelessness, not just where they stayed most recently. The appropriate response to this question for this client would be 02/01/2024, the date they lost housing and began living on the streets. The client has been experiencing homelessness since then, even if their location did change from the street to an ES. If the client is unsure of exact dates, make an educated guess based on the information they share. 

Prior Living Situation: Emergency shelter

Length of Stay in Previous Place: Two weeks

Approximate Date this Episode of Homelessness Started: 02/01/2024

 

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. 

 

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. 

 

---

Still having trouble?

If you are still having issues understanding and entering the housing history UDEs and CoC specific housing questions, please contact the HMIS Administration Team at [email protected].