State of Homelessness Dashboard

The dashboard is updated monthly, with new data published on the 15th of each month. This allows time for service providers to update records for the previous month and ensure accuracy.

HMIS is a live database, which means providers continually enter and update client information. Sometimes, data entry is delayed, or corrections are made after the fact. When the dashboard is refreshed monthly, it pulls the most current information from HMIS and recalculates counts, even for previous months, based on the updated data.

This helps ensure that inflow, outflow, and total counts remain accurate over time. Think of it like balancing a checkbook—if a transaction is added or corrected later, your monthly total adjusts to reflect the full picture. The dashboard works the same way to reflect the most accurate view of system activity.

The State of Homelessness Dashboard and the PIT Count both help us understand homelessness in our community, but they are very different tools, with different purposes.

Here’s how they differ:

• The dashboard uses dynamic data from the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). It reflects information on people who are actively utilizing services like shelter, outreach, or coordinated access through agencies in our community. The dashboard is updated every month and shows trends over time.
• The PIT Count is a snapshot of homelessness during a short timeframe, typically a night or two, in January. Sheltered individuals are counted every year using data from service providers, while volunteers and outreach teams count and survey people sleeping outside every other year.
• The dashboard is continuously updated as providers enter information, so it reflects changes in real time. The PIT Count is static – it tells us what homelessness looked like on one specific night.

In fall 2024, our Coordinated Access System (CAS) experienced a major system transition. This included the launch of two new assessment tools—one for shelter access and one for housing programs.

During this time:

• We temporarily paused client assessments while staff assessor training and certification occurred.
• Providers adjusted to new processes, such as logging enrollments in the CAS program at the time of assessment.
• The implementation period delayed data entry, which is reflected in the dip in the dashboard data.

The dashboard is intended for online viewing via our website platform. The dynamic nature of the dashboard requires that we monitor and maintain it in this way.