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HMIS 101: AKHMIS Data Matters LSA and SPM
This information is designed to build HPRS stakeholders’ understanding of how the data in AKHMIS affects federal report requirements.
What is the LSA?
A critical aspect of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended, is a focus on viewing the local homeless response as a coordinated system of homeless assistance options as opposed to homeless assistance programs and funding sources that operate independently in a community. The Longitudinal Systems Analysis (LSA) report provides HUD and Continuums of Care (CoCs) with critical information about how people experiencing homelessness use their system of care.
Each client enrolled within the period will be listed along with many data elements that denote their demographics (Age, Gender, Race) as well as information collected about their project stay such as Household Type, Health Conditions and Prior Residence. Complete and accurate HUD Universal Data Elements, Common Data Elements and Program Specific Data Elements are critical to accurately reporting how people experiencing homelessness are using the systems of care in Alaska.
The Longitudinal Systems Analysis (LSA) is a federal report submitted to HUD that informs the Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress (for more, see this page on the HUD Exchange).
What is the SPM?
The intent of the System Performance Measures (SPM) report is to encourage CoCs, in coordination with Emergency Solutions Grants Program recipients and all other homeless assistance stakeholders in the community, to regularly measure their progress in meeting the needs of people experiencing homelessness in their community and to report this progress to HUD. HUD uses system-level performance information as a competitive element in its annual CoC Program Competition and to gauge the state of the homeless response system nationally.
The seven system-level performance measures
HUD has developed the following seven system-level performance measures to help communities gauge their progress in preventing and ending homelessness:
- Length of time persons remain homeless.
- The extent to which persons who exit homelessness to permanent housing destinations return to homelessness.
- Number of homeless persons.
- Jobs and income growth for homeless persons in CoC Program-funded projects.
- Number of persons who become homeless for the first time.
- Homelessness prevention and housing placement of persons defined by Category 3 of HUD’s homeless definition in CoC Program-funded projects.
- Successful housing placement.
Action Needed
While ICA ultimately submits both the LSA and SPMs on behalf of the CoC, it is critical that all Continuum of Care stakeholders understand the importance of these submissions and that providers participate in data quality improvement processes to ensure high quality submissions. Consistent engagement with monthly data quality reports (Appendix B) ensures a solid foundation for these reports by ensuring that the data is as accurate as possible. As we work through the submission, ICA may reach out to providers with specific data quality, including use and availability, concerns. Timely participation in the process is essential to the success of the Continuum of Care. This year the CoC’s will be submitting data to HUD for Federal FY2023 (10/1/2022-9/30/2023).
Data Completeness, Accuracy, Timeliness, and Consistency affect both the LSA and the SPM reports. Accurate client-level data must be gathered about each client served in the data analysis period, for each data element relevant to the respective measure. The data must also be entered into the HMIS correctly and timely. Correct entry and exit dates, destination, income and sources, and residential/housing move-in dates are some of the most crucial data elements for these reports ( Appendix A). Client identifier information used for deduplicating clients across project enrollments is also important for a CoC to review. Without accurate deduplication results, the measures may not reflect the reality of system use. When considering data quality to improve the accuracy of the report, prioritize review of these data elements for the data analysis period.
ICA system administrators work on identifying data errors throughout the year that affect the LSA and SPM. As issues are identified, they will reach out to providers and organizations to correct their projects’ data. Please be timely in making those corrections.
If you have questions on how to run reports or make corrections, contact the AKHMIS Help Desk for assistance - we are happy to help!
NOTE: The LSA and SPM directly impacts the funding the CoC’s receive annually from HUD. The results of both the LSA and SPMs are directly tied to specific NOFO points. Inaccurate, incomplete, and low performing submissions lead to a reduction in points. In a competition where every point matters, even a small deduction can mean a difference in the number of projects funded by CoC funds.
What is the submission timeline for these reports?
- LSA: Usually opens for submission in late October and is due mid-January.
- SPM: Usually opens for submission in late November and is due late February.
Organizations will be alerted to the timeline via the AKHMIS Newsletter and/or by their CoC.
Which projects does this affect?
The LSA and SPM reports on data from specific continuum projects, regardless of funding source. The chart below indicates whether your specific project type participates in each. If you are unsure whether you have one of these project types, contact the AKHMIS Help Desk. We will be happy to help you figure it out.
| Project Type |
LSA |
SPM |
| Street Outreach (SO) |
No |
Yes |
| Services Only |
No |
No |
| Emergency Shelter (ES) - Entry/Exit (E/E) |
Yes |
Yes |
| Emergency Shelter (ES) - Night-by-Night (NbN) |
Yes |
Yes |
| Transitional Housing (TH) |
Yes |
Yes |
| Rapid Rehousing (RRH) With or Without Services |
Yes |
Yes |
| Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) |
Yes |
Yes |
| Permanent Housing: Housing Only (PH-H) |
No |
Yes |
| Permanent Housing: Housing with Services (PH-S) |
No |
Yes |
What if…..?
If you get stuck, if something does not look right, or if you have any questions when reviewing your data, you are always welcome to contact the AKHMIS Help Desk for assistance. An ICA System Administrator will respond to your request for assistance, usually within two Help Desk hours (8:00a-4:00p, Monday through Friday). If you would prefer to talk to an ICA System Administrator via telephone instead of email, send an email to the AKHMIS Help Desk asking for us to call you (remember to include your phone number) and we will call you as soon as we are able.
Appendix A
Data Elements Prioritized in the LSA
| LSA Category Data Element |
Household Classification |
Comparisons w/ Prior LSA |
Length of Stay |
Utilization |
Comparisons with HIC |
| 2.07 Bed & Unit Inventory |
X |
|
|
|
X |
| 3.3 Date of Birth |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
| 3.10 Project Start Date |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| 3.11 Project Exit Date |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| 3.15 Relationship to Hoh |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| 3.16 Enrollment CoC |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| 3.20 Housing Move-in Date |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
| 3.917 Prior Living Situation |
X |
|
|
|
|
Data Elements Prioritized in the SPMs
| SPM Metric
Data Element |
Measure 1: Length of Homelessness |
Measure 2: Returns to Homelessness |
Measure 3: Number of People |
Measure 4: Income |
Measure 5: First-time Homelessness |
Measure 7: Successful Placement |
| 2.4 Project Type |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| 2.5 Method for tracking Emergency Shelter Utilization |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2.6 Federal Partner Funding Source |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
| 3.3 Date of Birth |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
| 3.10 Project Start Date |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| 3.11 Project Exit Date |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| 3.12 Destination |
|
X |
|
|
|
X |
| 3.15 Relationship to Hoh |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| 3.16 Enrollment CoC |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| 3.20 Housing Move-in Date |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
| 3.917 Prior Living Situation |
x |
|
|
|
|
|
| 4.02 Income and Sources |
|
|
|
X |
|
|
Appendix B
Data quality reports pertinent to each project type. These reports are available to providers to run as needed. ICA sends specific reports out in accordance with the data quality plan.
Providers are encouraged to pull relevant reports for project and data management needs.
Street outreach [SO]
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Quality Performance Scorecard
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Completeness – 2024 Data Standards UDEs
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Accuracy - Clients Active in Period
03 Shelter-Outreach_SSO > Street Outreach Status
Emergency Shelter [ES] – Entry/exit based (E/E)
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Quality Performance Scorecard
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Completeness – 2024 Data Standards UDEs
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Accuracy - Clients Active in Period
03 Shelter-Outreach_SSO > Entry Exit and Shelter Stay Comparison
Emergency Shelter [ES] – Night-by-night (nbn)
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Quality Performance Scorecard
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Completeness – 2024 Data Standards UDEs
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Accuracy - Clients Active in Period
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Shelter Night Totals
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Accuracy – ShelterPoint overlap.
03 Shelter-Outreach_SSO > Entry Exit and Shelter Stay Comparison
03 Shelter-Outreach_SSO > Shelter Exits Needed
Transitional Housing [TH]
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Quality Performance Scorecard
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Completeness – 2024 Data Standards UDEs
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Accuracy - Clients Active in Period
Permanent Housing: Rapid rehousing [RRH] & Permanent Supportive housing [psh]
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Quality Performance Scorecard
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Completeness – 2024 Data Standards UDEs
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Accuracy - Clients Active in Period
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Accuracy – Housing Move In Date Monitoring w/Details
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Completeness - Annual Assessments
Permanent Housing: Housing Only [ph-h] & Housing with Services [ph-s]
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Quality Performance Scorecard
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Completeness – 2024 Data Standards UDEs
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Accuracy - Clients Active in Period
00 Data Quality and Completeness > Data Accuracy – Housing Move In Date Monitoring w/Details