Madison / Dane CoC October 2023 Clarity / HMIS data collection changes

Reminder about upcoming changes to the HMIS / Clarity questions for the Madison / Dane County CoC

On October 1 ^st HUD’s updated 2024 HMIS data standards go into effect. HMIS / Clarity users will see some changes to the questions they must answer while enrolling and working with folks in their projects. Some of these changes are minor and some are more noticeable. ICA is doing a required training on these changes Tuesday September 26^th. Here is the link to register. The training will be recorded and must viewed by all HMIS users by October 31st 2023

It is also important to note that in the Spring of 2023 the HSC made the decision to add additional questions of its own. Because these questions are specific to the Madison / Dane County CoC’s goals, these questions will not be covered in the ICA training. Please reach out to patrick.duffie@icalliances.org if you have any questions. The questions are:

Doubled-up / Self-pay questions

Question 1: In the last 12 months, have you had to temporarily live with someone else for any number of days to avoid spending a night on the street, in a car, or at a shelter?

Question 2: In the last 12 months, have you had to self-pay at a hotel/motel for any number of days to avoid spending a night on the street, in a car, or at a shelter?

They will be asked by all Street Outreach and Emergency Shelter projects
They will be collected for all adults and/or heads of household
The questions will found after the Prior Living Situation questions on the Clarity enrollment screens
The response options are:
- No
- Yes
- Client does know
- Client prefers not to answer
- Data not collected

Sexual Orientation

All projects will collect this for all adults and/or heads of household
The questions will be placed at the very end of the Clarity enrollment screen
While the HSC made the decision to collect this data for all project types, it did not specifically choose the response options. This is an existing HMIS question that YHDP, RHY, and, CoC funded PSH projects are required to ask and it is important that all projects collect the information in the same manner
The response options are:
- Heterosexual
- Gay
- Lesbian
- Bisexual
- Questioning / Unsure
- Other
- Client doesn’t know
- Client prefers not to answer
- Data not collected