HMIS 101: Can an Anonymous Client be Created in AKHMIS?

Anonymous clients should not be created in AKHMIS (Alaska Homeless Management Information System). Using an anonymous record can have negative reporting implications, particularly for HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) and HUD Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) projects. Client names are required to minimize duplicate records.

If a client provides their full name but does not agree to data sharing as outlined in the Alaska CoC Statewide Consumer Notice, a client record can still be created and data can be in HMIS the client record and then the record's visibility can be manually locked down. Imagine it as a record in a filing cabinet in your office that will then only be visible to HMIS end users at your organization. In this case the client's record will not be visible to the statewide data sharing visibility group in HMIS. When a client's record is closed their information will only be accessible to users at your organization. You should never create anonymous records in HMIS.

Please reach out to the AKHMIS Help Desk for assistance if you learn that an anonymous client has been enrolled in one of your projects.