WHAT IS HMIS?
HMIS stands for “Homeless Management Information System.” HMIS is a computerized database that allows organizations that provide services to people experiencing homelessness to collect client information, track services and generate reports. HMIS is a secure system that allows a number of different agencies and users to continuously enter their clients’ data, while being assured that the information is being protected.
VIC’s HMIS program partners with the Mid-Alabama Coalition for the Homeless (MACH) as the Continuum of Care to provide standardized and timely information to improve access to housing and services, and strengthen the efforts to end homelessness.
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The HMIS system is used to:
- Collect individual client information (gender, age, ethnicity, etc,)
- Collect household information (housing status, services provided, income, etc.)
- Allow providers to selectively share client data with other service providers
- Produce reports required by the U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development, City of Montgomery Community Development Office and other local and state funding programs
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Homelessness may involve many factors, including the high cost of housing, the lack of good jobs, mental illness, chemical dependency, rental history, criminal background, neglect, and domestic violence. Our HMIS system is one attempt to address the issue by providing a clearer picture of who experiences homelessness, how that population changes over time, and what types of services are needed to help turn these trends around.
Our goal is to provide as comprehensive a picture of homelessness as possible, by incorporating information from all emergency shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing providers, as well as other points of contact for people experiencing homelessness, such as outreach programs and prevention programs.
Finally, HMIS meets a federal mandate, thus improving the River Region’s chance of continuing to receive at least its current level of HUD McKinney-Vento funding-over 1.9 Million.
Those interested in partnering or interested in data regarding the homeless may call 334-264-3335.
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