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The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)

Managing data to support coordinated homelessness care.

HMIS PROVIDER HUB

What is the Homeless Management Information System, or HMIS?

The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is a secure, shared information database. Organizations that serve people experiencing or at risk of homelessness input information into this system about the services they provide and the people they serve.

This allows service providers to track housing needs, service usage, and outcomes. This, in turn, enables more coordinated, person-centered care across our community.

How HMIS Helps Our Region

A strong HMIS supports the work of partnering service providers by:

  • Connecting agencies so they can better coordinate care
  • Helping staff understand a person’s full service history
  • Supporting funding decisions and system-level strategy
  • Tracking community outcomes and identifying service gaps
  • Ensuring compliance with federal requirements

HMIS is foundational to Sacramento’s Coordinated Access System (CAS) and broader homelessness response. It plays a critical role in tracking progress on the Regionally Coordinated Homelessness Action Plan (RCHAP) and providing transparent data to our community.

Here's how local oversight and administration works:

As the local HMIS Lead Agency, Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF) manages systems for both Sacramento (CA-503) and Yolo (CA-521) counties. Our work includes:
  • Granting access for new users and agencies
  • Providing training, job aids, and real-time support
  • Reviewing data for accuracy and completeness
  • Supporting compliance with HUD's privacy and security standards
  • Producing HUD-mandated reports and custom analyses

We work with local nonprofits and agencies that enter data into the system to coordinate client care, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as our federal funder and regulator, and the CoC for oversight and policy-making to ensure alignment with regional goals.

To safeguard client privacy, data in HMIS is only visible to authorized users. Background checks, user agreements, and security protocols are required for system access.

Who uses HMIS?

Hundreds of agencies participate in HMIS, including housing programs, shelters, health centers, behavioral health providers, public agencies, and more.

Agencies that receive funding from HUD through a Continuum of Care are required to input data about their program into HMIS, while other agencies that do not receive federal funding choose to use HMIS. Since HMIS is the primary source of data for people experiencing homelessness, we encourage all homelessness service providers to use our local HMIS. However, access to our system is tightly regulated to protect the confidentiality of client data.

Additionally, people throughout our community and beyond use the data gathered through our HMIS to better understand the situation of homelessness and what is being done to help those experiencing it. Want to learn more about the types of data gleaned from our HMIS? Explore our data and analytics hub.

See the organizations that are part of the Sacramento Continuum of Care (CA-503) and Yolo Continuum of Care (CA-521) Homelessness Management Information Systems.

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Find additional resources here.

HMIS Language Clarity Guide

The HMIS Language Clarity Guide is a quick-reference resource that explains key terms, user roles, and workflows for entering and managing client data in HMIS.

DOWNLOAD GUIDE

More About the HMIS Program

Visit the HMIS from HUD website to learn more about the program.

HMIS for Service Providers

Looking for HMIS resources specific to service providers?

Visit our HMIS Provider Hub.

HMIS Growth Report: 2018–2022

In the five years between 2018 and 2022, we saw a 61% increase in number of agencies, 45% increase in number of programs, and 104% increase in number users. Learn more by reading our report.

READ OUR REPORT

Have questions or need support?

For general HMIS support, system access questions, or help with data entry and reporting, reach out to us using the form below.

Note: Please do not include personally identifiable information (PII) in emails or when you submit a question below. Use the HMIS Unique Identifier instead.

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