Using HMIS to Track and Evaluate Successes and

Trends of Project Homeless Connect Events

Matthew Ayres, Hennepin County/City of Minneapolis

Emily Warren, Wilder Research

Agenda Homelessness in Minnesota Introduction to State-wide PHC/OCC events Evolution of PHC events in Minneapolis Data limitations HMIS matching and longitudinal data Using HMIS data for PHC planning and 10-

year planning Conclusions and questions

Homelessness in Minnesota Geography: 13 Continuum of Care

regions, including metro and rural areas Point in Time Count:

Statewide from October 26, 2006Count- 7,713Estimate- 9,200 to 9,300

Total Population: 5,167,101 (U.S. Census 2006)

Homelessness in Minneapolis

Geography: 1 Continuum of Care region, Hennepin County.

Point in Time Count: Statewide from October 26, 2006Count- 3,998

Total Population: 1,122,093 (U.S. Census 2006)

Operation Community Connect in MN Operation Community Connect – Rural

Aitkin Kanabec Isanti Mille Lacs Pine Chisago Rice Clay Moorhead (Project Homeless Connect)

Total Served: 635 households

Project Homeless Connect in MN

Project Homeless Connect – Urban Minneapolis (Hennepin County)- April 28, 2008 Total Served: 2,570 Households

St Paul (Ramsey County) – June 10, 2008 Total Served: 1,033 Households

Duluth (St. Louis County) – October 24, 2007 Total Served: 344 Households

Evolution of Minneapolis PHC

First event: December 2005 500 guests, 50 Volunteers, 40 service

providers

Recent event: April, 2008 2880 Guests, 1300 Volunteers, 140 agencies

with over 350 service providers

Evolution of Minneapolis PHC

Services at Minneapolis PHC

Mental Health assessments Chemical Dependency assessments Housing programs Employment programs and Employers GED and Community college IDs and Birth Certificates Early Childhood Family Education Daycare Veterans Services

Services at Minneapolis PHC cont… Youth-specific services Haircuts Footwear Medical Dental Eye care Chiropractic Transportation Assistance Lunch

Common Intake Form Multiple counties worked to develop and

utilize a common intake form used at all PHC/OCC events statewide.

This allows for statewide demographic data regarding who is accessing services.

Informs local plans and allows for longitudinal tracking of guests.

Data Limitations Use of unique IDs - The Bob/Robert

conundrum Lack of bed coverage in some CoCs

Example: Hennepin County 35% of emergency shelter beds, 83% of

transitional housing beds, 55% of permanent housing beds

Intake forms completed by volunteers Reliance on self-report from guests

Demographics at Minneapolis PHC –

April 2008 event

2,570 households2,888 individuals1,690 single adults164 couples or adults with “other”

family status663 parents or guardians318 children53 unaccompanied youth

Demographics at Minneapolis PHC –

April 2008 event 22% not currently homeless 25% 1st time homeless 14% multiple times homeless 21% long-term homeless 18% homelessness status unknown/missing

16% American-Indian 52% Black/African-American 21% White 5% Other/Multi-racial 6% Missing

Why use HMIS to evaluate PHC events?

Provides more information about who is attending the events – are they already accessing services?

An indicator of effectiveness of events by tracking later use of services by PHC guests

Plan for future events, especially programmatic changes based on guests’ needs

Informs 10-year plans

Example of matching: Hennepin Co.

3,427 guests attended either the October 2007 or April 2008 PHC events in Hennepin

Of those, 169 guests were not in HMIS prior to the event AND received services within 30 days after the event from a provider participating in HMIS: 42 received FHPAP services 49 received emergency shelter 27 received transitional housing 31 received permanent housing 60 received other support services

Example of matching: Hennepin Co 729 guests identifying as long-term homeless attended the October 2007 or April 2008 PHC Event in Hennepin Co. Of those, 521 guests were not in HMIS prior to the event. Of those, 35 guests received a service in HMIS within 30 days after the event, and 19 of those received a service of permanent housing. Three months after receiving permanent housing, 18 of those 19 guests are still in the same housing program. The other guest left their housing program for a Section 8 voucher.

HMIS Matching and Analysis

HMIS Matching and Analysis

What does this data mean? Evaluates the outcomes of PHC events Provides anecdotal evidence for

“successes” of the events Provides data on the number of follow-up

services provided after the event Informs 10-year planning by providing

additional information to communities about their homeless population’s needs, demographics, and use of services

Questions?