Anchor communities track six data points (plus four sleeping locations and two time-related measures). These six data points are the foundation for measuring functional zero. They help us measure:
progress towards functional zero
bright spots
challenges
system/quality improvement projects
Resources and tools:
INFLOW
NEWLY IDENTIFIED
DEFINITION: The total number of unaccompanied young people under the age of 25 experiencing homelessness who have newly been added to your active list over the course of the reporting month.
HMIS NOTE: Use Earliest Date recorded between: 4.12 Current Living Situation OR 3.10 Project Entry Date for all projects
RETURNED TO ACTIVE LIST FROM HOUSING DESTINATION
DEFINITION: The total number of unaccompanied youth under the age of 25 who were previously housed and have since reappeared, become unhoused or have otherwise returned to homelessness over the course of the reporting month.
RETURNED TO ACTIVE LIST FROM INACTIVE STATUS
DEFINITION: The total number of unaccompanied youth under the age of 25 who were previously designated as inactive and have since reappeared, become unhoused or have otherwise returned to homelessness over the course of the reporting month.
ACTIVELY HOMELESS
ACTIVELY HOMELESS
DEFINITION: As of the last day of the reporting month, the number of actively homeless unaccompanied young people under the age of 25 on your active list.
Example: Young people who have entered the system in May (and have not yet exited at the end of May) are captured in your May Actively Homeless number. These individuals will continue to show up in your June Actively Homeless number if they still haven’t exited by the end of June. So on and so forth.
UNSHELTERED
DEFINITION: Young people who are living on the street or other places not meant for human habitation (HUD – Cat 1i).
HMIS NOTE: Can use Active status: 4.12 Current Living Situation; most recent Current Living Situation entered: Place not meant for habitation
SHELTERED
DEFINITION: Young people experiencing sheltered homelessness in shelter, transitional housing or other time-limited setting (HUD – Cat 1ii & iii).
HMIS NOTE: Can use Active status: 4.12 Current Living Situation; most recent Current Living Situation entered:
ES, including hotel or motel paid for with emergency shelter voucher, or RHY funded Host Home Shelter
Safe Haven
Residential or halfway house with no homeless criteria
Hotel or motel paid for without emergency shelter voucher
Transitional housing for homeless persons
Host Home (non-crisis)
Foster care home or foster care group home
Hospital or other residential non-psychiatric medical facility
Jail, prison, or juvenile detention facility
Long-term care facility or nursing home
Psychiatric hospital or other psychiatric facility
Substance abuse treatment facility or detox center
DOUBLED UP/COUCH SURFING
DEFINITION: Unaccompanied youth and young adults who are staying with others (may include staying with friends and family) in situations that are unsafe or unstable. The young person does not have control over how long they can stay; does not feel safe where they are staying (HUD – Cat 2, 3 & 4, HHS – RHYA definition, US Dept of Ed – McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act definition).
HMIS NOTE: Can use Active status: 4.12 Current Living Situation; most recent Current Living Situation entered:
Staying or living in a friend's room, apartment or house (T)
Staying or living in a family member's room, apartment or house (T)
OTHER/UNKNOWN
DEFINITION: Young people experiencing homelessness who do not fit into any of the above categories or for whom the location they are staying is unknown.
NOTES:
Actively homeless individuals may reside in shelter, transitional housing, or in a location not meant for human habitation (on street, beach/riverbed, in car, etc.).
Note that young people who enter transitional housing (or other time-limited safe and stable housing eg. host homes, temporary housing placement with friends or family) should remain on the active list until they are permanently housed.
Actively homeless individuals may have received a voucher or subsidy. However, if they have not yet moved into a permanent housing destination, they should still be counted as actively homeless.
Unaccompanied young people who have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (even if shared) are not considered homeless, unless they do not feel safe where they are staying or do not have control over how long they can stay.
LENGTH OF TIME SINCE IDENTIFICATION
Identification Date: The day that the young person first became known to your system and either indicated they were experiencing homelessness, or it was clear that the individual was experiencing homelessness (if they were unable/unwilling to indicate their status). This may or may not be the same day they were assessed for housing and/or service needs. Only includes clients who were permanently housed in the reporting month.
Sample Calculation:
Last Date of Reporting Month - Identification Date = # of days since ID for one person
Calculate # of days since ID for each client and add up the total # of days
Divide the total # of days by the # of clients permanently housed during the reporting month >> this is your average length of time since ID
HMIS NOTE: Use Earliest Date recorded between: 4.12 Current Living Situation OR 3.10 Project Entry Date for all projects
NUMBER OVER 90 DAYS ON ACTIVE LIST
DEFINITION: As of the last day of the reporting month, the number of young people on your active list for whom it has been at least 90 days since identification. Calculated based on number of days between identification date and the last date of the reporting month. This figure should only include young people who are identified as being sheltered or unsheltered. Do not include young people who are couch surfing/doubled-up or are staying in other/unknown locations.
OUTFLOW
MOVED TO NON-TIME-LIMITED/PERMANENT HOUSING
DEFINITION: The total number of unaccompanied young people under the age of 25 experiencing homelessness who moved into permanent, non-time-limited housing over the course of the reporting month.
HMIS NOTE: 3.20 Housing Move-in Date if enrolled in RRH or PSH, OR
3.11.01 Project Exit Date if 3.12 Destination is one of the following:
3.12.22 Staying or living with family, permanent tenure
3.12.23 Staying or living with friends, permanent tenure
3.12.26 Moved from one HOPWA funded project to HOPWA PH
3.12.28 Rental by client, with GPD TIP housing subsidy
3.12.19 Rental by client, with VASH housing subsidy
3.12.3 Permanent housing (other than RRH) for formerly homeless persons
3.12.31 Rental by client, with RRH or equivalent subsidy
3.12.33 Rental by client, with Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) (tenant or project based)
3.12.34 Rental by client in a public housing unit
3.12.10 Rental by client, no ongoing housing subsidy
3.12.20 Rental by client, with other ongoing housing subsidy
3.12.21 Owned by client, with ongoing housing subsidy
3.12.11 Owned by client, no ongoing housing subsidy
MOVED TO INACTIVE
DEFINITION: The total number of unaccompanied young people under the age of 25 experiencing homelessness who have been designated as “inactive” on your community’s active list over the course of the reporting month.
NOTES:
Inactive status should be assigned to young people who have either gone missing or otherwise cannot be found. Typically, communities move inactive individuals to an archived portion of their active list based on a designated “no-contact” threshold of 90 days.
Individuals currently refusing services or housing should not be designated as inactive unless they meet the no-contact threshold (i.e., they have not been seen in 90 days-6 months).
If an individual’s potential institutional length of stay (e.g. hospitalization, jail, etc.) is ambiguous, leave them on your active list for 90 days. If their institutional stay becomes long, your community may decide to move the individual to the inactive list.
NO LONGER MEETS POPULATION CRITERIA
DEFINITION: The total number of unaccompanied young people experiencing homelessness who have lost their “population” status over the course of the month.
**Example: an unaccompanied young person who turns 26 (and therefore “ages” out of youth status) would be included in this category.
LENGTH OF TIME FROM IDENTIFICATION TO HOUSING
LENGTH OF TIME FROM IDENTIFICATION TO HOUSING
DEFINITION: The average length of time from identification to move-in to permanent housing for young people experiencing homelessness in your community, for the reporting month. This is only calculated for young people who moved to permanent housing, not those who were removed from the active list of other reasons.
Identification Date: The day that the young person first became known to your system and either indicated they were experiencing homelessness, or it was clear that the individual was experiencing homelessness (if they were unable/unwilling to indicate their status). This may or may not be the same day they were assessed for housing and/or service needs.
Sample Calculation:
Housing Date - Identification Date = # of days from ID to housing for one person
Calculate # of days from ID to housing for each client and add up the total # of days
Divide the total # of days by the # of clients >> this is your average length of time from ID to housing