The Annual Homeless Assessment Report: AHAR 101

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The Annual Homeless Assessment Report AHAR 101
June 2009
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AHAR Overview

• Introduction to AHAR
• Key AHAR Reporting Requirements
• Data Collection and Submission
• Mid-Year AHAR Prep

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Introduction to the AHAR
What is it?

• An annual report to Congress about the number and
• characteristics of people who use homeless
  residential
• services and their patterns of use.

• It can be found online at
• http//www.hudhre.info/documents/3rdHomelessAssess
  mentReport.pdf
• or
• www.hmis.info

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Introduction to the AHAR
Who reports to the AHAR?

• The current AHAR can cover an entire CoC or a
  jurisdiction within a CoC, including the
  residential programs located in those areas
• 102 AHAR Sample Sites Community Development
  Block Grant (CDBG) jurisdictions, which can be
  large cities, cities with 50,000 or more people,
  urban counties, and non-entitlement (or rural)
  areas. Some CDBG jurisdictions coincide with the
  geographic boundaries of CoCs (e.g., large
  cities).
• Contributing Communities CoCs that provide
  CoC-wide data.

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Introduction to the AHAR
HUD emphasis on AHAR participation

• Increasing emphasis on HMIS implementation and
  AHAR participation through CoC competitive
  process.
• AHAR Participation Status is a question in HUDs
  CoC Funding Application
• AHAR is the primary source of data on the extent
  and nature of homelessness nationwide
• Future CoC funding will be tied to participation
  in HMIS and AHAR. Ann Oliva, HUD SNAPs Office
  Director

Source Bureau of Labor Statistics
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AHAR Reporting Requirements HMIS Data
HMIS data are reported in 4 program categories
all persons served in emergency shelters for
individuals

• ES-IND
• ES-FAM
• TH-IND
• TH-FAM
• SUMMARY

all persons in families served in emergency
shelters
all persons served in transitional housing for
individuals
all persons in families served in transitional
housing
mostly aggregates information from 4 reporting
categories
Source Bureau of Labor Statistics
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AHAR Reporting RequirementsHMIS Data (continued)
3 Key Data Quality Indicators

• Bed Coverage Communities must have at least 50
  HMIS bed coverage in 1 or more reporting
  category.
• Problem Low provider coverage requires
  extrapolation based on limited information.
• Bed Utilization HMIS participating agencies must
  be recording accurate entry and exit dates for
  all clients served during the reporting period.
• Problem Missing exit dates produce over-count of
  persons served and exceedingly high bed
  utilization rates.
• Problem Missing entry dates produce under-count
  of persons served and very low utilization rates.
• Data Completeness HMIS participating agencies
  must be collecting the HUD required Universal
  Data Elements.
• Problem High percentages of missing data on
  disability and veterans status, and zip code of
  last permanent address.

Source Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Data Collection SubmissionAHAR Exchange

• AHAR Exchange is a web-based data collection tool
  for communities to report their data
• Features of the AHAR Exchange
• Embedded consistency checks and automated
  calculations
• The ability to leave notes for AHAR data
  collection team about data
• Data log that shows who made changes and when
• Unique user names and passwords
• Navigation tools

Source Bureau of Labor Statistics
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AHAR Preparation Mid Year

• Confirm CoC Housing Inventory information
• Clean up program profiles in HMIS
• Participate in more detailed AHAR 101 and AHAR
  Exchange trainings
• Check your data
• Is bed coverage in HMIS comprehensive enough?
• Check utilization at first two PIT count dates.
• How many clients have LOS gt 365 days?
• Register with AHAR Exchange and submit practice
  data