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 10year 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, 2006
Count- 7,713
Estimate- 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, 2006
Count- 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
Number of Guests/Volunteers at Hennepin County
PHC Events
3000
2500
2000
Guests
1500
Volunteers
1000
500
0
PHC1
PHC2
PHC3
PHC4
PHC5
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
households
 2,888 individuals
 1,690 single adults
 164 couples or adults with “other”
family status
 663 parents or guardians
 318 children
 53 unaccompanied youth
Demographics at Minneapolis PHC –
April 2008 event










22%
25%
14%
21%
18%
not currently homeless
1st time homeless
multiple times homeless
long-term homeless
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
49
27
31
60
received
received
received
received
received
FHPAP services
emergency shelter
transitional housing
permanent housing
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
90
Does Project Homeless Connect reach households
that are not previously connected to services?
80
70
% of guests who were
not in HMIS prior to
the event and homeless
60
50
40
30
% guests who were not
in HMIS prior to the
event and NOT
homeless
20
10
0
St. Paul
(n=772)
Minneapolis
(n=1410)
Duluth
(n=300)
Greater MN
(n=504)
Total
(n=2986)
HMIS Matching and Analysis
Do guests at Project Homeless Connect remain
connected to services after the event?
25
20
% in HMIS after the
event within 60 days and
NOT in HMIS prior to
the event
15
10
5
0
Ramsey
(n=772)
Hennepin
(n=1410)
St. Louis Greater MN
Total
(n=300)
(n=504)
(n=2986)
% in HMIS after the
event within 60 days
AND in HMIS prior to
the event
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?