System Makes Homeless Management More Efficient

BOISE - The Idaho Housing and Finance Association's Web-based Homeless Management Information System, introduced in 2002, has assisted homeless service providers across the state to track the efficiency of services provided to individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

This system, known as ServicePoint, provides accurate and unduplicated numbers of persons served and supports Idaho's efforts to receive necessary funding for those needing a variety of housing and social services.

Thirty-three (33) homeless service providers statewide utilize ServicePoint. Kathy Beauchamp, executive director of Valley Crisis Center in Nampa, a shelter that serves approximately 2,500 people per year, states she uses the system to gather information such as age and ethnicity when applying for grant funds to support shelter operations.

Beauchamp said more funding is necessary because "we used to house about 150 families a year, but it has grown steadily."

Annie Lum, Valley Crisis Center's assistant director of finance, explains the HMIS system made processing Annual Progress Reports, required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, easier.

"The reports used to be done by hand and were very time-consuming," Lum said, "with the information compiled from several other pieces of information, and subject to errors."

Through ServicePoint, IHFA can accurately document use of Idaho's homeless services. Providers supply the type of assistance given, referrals, and other demographic details useful in reporting. Security is strictly maintained to protect personal information and identity.

Nationally, Idaho was at the forefront in the integration of a statewide program and continues to be proactive in the use of a single-vendor product to aid in tracking homeless statistics and trends.

With regular use of ServicePoint's features, providers of homeless services in Idaho can monitor the impact of federal assistance, track referrals made to other providers, and the numbers of persons they serve. This information enables both providers and IHFA to assess the use and value of current grant funds, identify service gaps, provide a count of homeless persons served, and evaluate the outcomes of homeless assistance programs throughout the state.

Brandon Duncan is a case manager for the City of Refuge men's homeless shelter in Idaho Falls. In 2004, City of Refuge had 265 individual residents and provided a total of 5,278 bed nights. The shelter also provided 6,860 evening meals to non-residents and distributed 185 food boxes.

"Most of these statistics we pulled up using the HMIS Report section, which allows us to track statistics regarding the people we have served," said Duncan. Because the shelter was interested in compiling statistics unique to their service, IHFA designed a data collection form for shelter administrators. Duncan was able to combine the custom form with HUD's required documentation to streamline the overall process.

"As HMIS is streamlined and more agencies across the state become more efficient with it, I see it becoming a very useful tool in understanding the face of homelessness in Idaho," Duncan said. "Many of the people that I see have gone from shelter to shelter. In order to effectively help these people, it is important to understand what they have done with other agencies in the past. ServicePoint may just provide the opportunity to do this," he added.

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The Idaho Housing and Finance Association, a financial services and housing business organization, provides funding for affordable housing in communities where it is most needed and when economically feasible.