HPC reviews HMIS project-level performance data; members request benchmarks and clearer context

Office of Homeless Services (OHS) staff presented a new packet breaking down HUD System Performance Measures (SPMs) at the project level for Continuum of Care–funded agencies and said the data are drawn from HMIS for the reporting period Oct. 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025.

Chantelle (HMIS/data lead) told the council the packet lists project-level results and explained why some values are “N/A”: measures such as returns to homelessness and income retention require multi-year histories and therefore are not available for projects that started recently; domestic-violence specific projects operated by Mary Parish Center were not included because DV projects do not report to HMIS.

Chantelle said rapid rehousing projects generally show lower returns to homelessness because those programs pay rent for participants, and she cautioned that outcomes differ by project type so measures are not directly comparable across permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing and other models.

Council members requested additional context and clarity. One member asked for the raw “n” (participant counts) alongside percentages so reviewers can see the sample sizes behind each rate. Another asked for benchmarks or peer comparisons — national or community-wide targets — to help interpret whether a given percentage represents improvement or decline in HUD scoring. OHS staff agreed to add national benchmarks, prior-year community values and agency projections to future reports so the packet provides clear context for interpreting performance measures.

Staff also reported a data-import issue affecting National Rescue Mission data that temporarily removed that agency’s records from recent extracts; staff said the import error has been fixed and the Mission’s data will return in the next import.

Kelly (OHS) highlighted recent operational updates: the department will combine ARPA-funded work and OHS reporting in future packets, and staff plan to add ARPA-related numbers to the SPM package. Kelly also announced a hire: Kelsey Combs will serve as the veteran systems lead after an interview and selection process involving Community Solutions and VA partners; Combs had been working with the CE team and will focus on veteran homelessness strategy.

Ending: OHS staff said they will revise the SPM packet to include raw counts, national benchmarks and prior-year values and will return updated data in the next report.