In October of 2023, Heartland HOUSED applied for and accepted an opportunity to work with Community Solutions through the State of Illinois' Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. With the clear and measurable goal of reaching functional zero in place, our community is now developing the ability to reliably track homelessness on a person-specific basis each month. Community Solutions' support has helped Heartland HOUSED and Heartland Continuum of Care (HCoC) organizations make significant progress toward developing a By-Names-List of all people experiencing homelessness in Sangamon County.
At the heart of these efforts is the reality that people are not numbers. While we use systems language and systems thinking to scale and design programs to provide support and housing for people experiencing homelessness, solutions to homelessness happen at the personal level. Success happens when people are known, cared for, met where they are, and connected with opportunities to access housing and other supports helpful to them. Our efforts to connect and continuously increase access to services are built on the foundation that when people have the basic need of housing met and have supportive services available to them, they can thrive.
Beginning in February of 2024, our HCoC HMIS Administrator has been creating monthly data reports from the region’s Homeless Management Information System to measure system outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. The metrics include a breakdown of people entering the system (inflow) and people exiting the system (outflow). Data covers Sangamon County.
Having a public data dashboard is an essential tool for agencies and community members in Sangamon County to better understand the housing needs, progress, and obstacles in our community.
Without quality data, it can be difficult to determine accurately the number of people experiencing homelessness and those being housed. Misconceptions about trends in homelessness are common and based on anecdotes, not data. The dashboard will allow users to see quantifiable trends in our community and will help decision-makers identify solutions to more quickly move people into housing.
A coordinated effort is vital for community to succeed in making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. The dashboard allows partners and agencies to have a shared narrative and set of data to refer to in their work. It is a tool that we hope will help to point out disparities and obstacles in our system that prevent people from obtaining and maintaining housing. With accurate data, innovative solutions can be implemented to serve all populations in Sangamon County.
Ultimately, the dashboard allows us to celebrate housing successes and continue paving a path toward reaching functional zero.
DATA DASHBOARD Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the dashboard data come from?
Heartland HOUSED pulls the data from the Heartland Continuum of Care's Homeless Management Information System. HMIS is used by agencies in the Heartland Continuum of Care which covers Sangamon County.
What metrics are used for the data dashboard?
- Inflow: Newly identified, returned from housing, returned from inactive
- Outflow: Housing placements, moved to inactive, no longer fits population criteria
What does inflow mean?
Inflow includes people who have lost housing and entered the HCoC's crisis response system. Categories included in inflow:
- Newly identified: People experiencing homelessness for the first time or having their first experience of homelessness within the past two years
- Returned from housing: People who have experienced homelessness, left the crisis response system, and then experienced another housing crisis resulting in homelessness
- Returned from inactive: People who experienced homelessness, left the homeless response system for over 90 days for a variety of reasons and then reappeared/reconnected with the homeless response system
What does it mean if someone is actively experiencing homelessness?
Someone is actively experiencing homelessness if they are currently living on the streets, staying in emergency shelter, transitional shelter, or living in places not fit for human habitation.
What does outflow mean?
Outflow encompasses people who have exited the HCoC crisis response system. Categories included in outflow include:
- Housing placements: People who have obtained stable housing through the HCoC Crisis Response System
- Moved to inactive: People who have exited the system without support from the HCoC Crisis Response System. This may include moving to a new area, self-resolving (finding their own housing) or staying long-term in an institution
- No longer meets population criteria: People whose status has changed since entering the crisis response system. An example is someone who was living in shelter who moved out to live with family or a friend.