2021 MN HMIS Data Element Changes
Minnesota HMIS Data Element Changes for 2021 will take effect on Friday, October 1st, 2021. This year, the timing of the MN changes will align with the FY 2022 HUD HMIS Data Standards Changes. This decision was made between the HMIS Policy & Prioritization Committee and the MN State Homeless Programs to reduce the burden placed on HMIS users that comes with learning new HMIS requirements. To prepare users for these upcoming changes, we want to provide a brief overview of the changes and information on when to expect training and materials to be updated.
Please note that the summary below only includes Minnesota data elements. The changes to the HUD HMIS Data Standards will be summarized in a newsletter article in August or early September. If you are interested in reviewing the FY 2022 changes to the HMIS Data Standards, please visit HUD’s HMIS Data Standards webpage.
Summary of changes to MN's Universal Data Elements:
Below is a brief summary of the changes to MN’s Universal Data Elements, which were previously shared in the HMIS Governing Board’s News Alert from July 27, 2021.
Data elements that will be edited:
Prior Permanent Residence Series - retiring the question: "How long since client had permanent place to live (permanent address)?" The questions about prior city, county, and state residence will remain MN UDEs.
Tribal Membership - adding follow up question to identify descendance. The specific wording of this question will be released in the future.
Important Update, 9/2/2021: The development of a new question about tribal descendants has been postponed so that the question can be more fully developed.
Veteran Question Series - Keeping questions A and G, retiring questions B-F. Question A will be edited to clarify and encompass the gap between the HUD question about military service and additional military service that might qualify households for Veteran-specific services or resources.
Data elements that will be retired:
Foster Care – “Are you or have you ever been in foster care?”
Recent Institutional History 0-3 Months – “Did the client leave any of the places listed in the last 3 months before project start date?”
Summary of changes to State Program-Specific Data Elements:
These changes only impact the specific State Homeless Programs listed below. If a State Homeless Program is not listed below, then there are no changes expected for their program-specific data elements.
MN Housing LTH, DHS LTHSSF, and DHS Housing Support
Data elements that will be retired:
“Does client have military disability status rating?”
Recent Institutional History 3-6 Months – “Did the client leave any of the places listed over 3 months ago and up to 6 months ago before project start date?”
New data element to be added:
“How long since you had stable housing for a year or more?” – this question is still under development and will be finalized soon, but the question’s intent is to collect the length of time since someone left the last stable housing they were in for a year or more.
MN Housing LTH
Data elements that will be retired:
The Matrix – The Measurement tool known as the “Self-Sufficiency Outcomes Matrix” (SSOM) will no longer be required for MN Housing LTH providers. (The DHS LTHSSF and DHS Housing Support programs will still require the SSOM.)
DHS OEO HYA – Youth Supportive Housing
Data elements that will be retired:
Supplemental Exit Destination - Friend – “If the client’s Exit Destination was “Staying or living with friends, permanent tenure” or “Staying or living with friends, temporary tenure (e.g., room, apartment or house),” further specify the destination/type of friend.”
Supplemental Exit Destination - Family – “If the client’s Exit Destination was “Staying or living with family, permanent tenure” or “Staying or living with family, temporary tenure (e.g., room, apartment or house),” indicate which family member.”
DHS SOR
Data elements that will be retired:
The Matrix – The Measurement tool known as the “Self-Sufficiency Outcomes Matrix” (SSOM) will no longer be required for DHS SAMHSA SOR providers.
“Does client have military disability status rating?”
Recent Institutional History 3-6 Months – “Did the client leave any of the places listed over 3 months ago and up to 6 months ago before project start date?”
Housing Cost sub-assessment – “Start Date”, “End Date”, and “Amount client pays for rent”
Data elements that will become optional:
Health Insurance sub-assessment
Disabilities sub-assessment
Monthly Income sub-assessment
Non-Cash Benefits sub-assessment
New data elements to be added:
“Was the initial GPRA survey offered to the participant?”
“If yes, did the participant choose to complete the GPRA survey?”
What comes next?
All changes will take effect in HMIS at the start of the 2022 Federal Fiscal Year, on October 1, 2021.
ICA will begin releasing training materials in the month of September leading up to the October 1st, 2021 changes. The MN HMIS Data Standards Guide will be updated to reflect the changes to HUD and MN Universal Data Elements in September (no later than 10/1/2021). Data Collection Forms and HMIS User Guides will be updated by October 1, 2021.
Please reach out with questions to ICA’s helpdesk at mnhmis@icalliances.org.