What is the Quality Data Foundations Toolkit

The Quality Data Foundations Toolkit outlines Built for Zero’s quality data standard and offers self-guided resources that any community can leverage to achieve quality data locally.

Presently, the toolkit addresses quality data standards for single adult households ^{? How does BFZ define the single adult population? Find out more in the BFZ reporting reference guide »} experiencing literal homelessness ^{? BFZ’s use of the term “literal homelessness” aligns with HUD’s definition of Category 1 and 4 homelessness. Please review HUD’s webpage, which describes the four categories of the homeless definition, for detailed descriptions of these definitions.} . In the future, the Built for Zero coaching team plans to expand this toolkit to include quality data standards for youth and families.

The toolkit is organized into “domains,” which correspond to sections of the All-Singles Scorecard. These domains represent key elements of local data systems that Built for Zero has identified as essential for maintaining a comprehensive, reliable, and regularly updated by-name dataset. For each domain, the toolkit includes:

• a description of the domain
• the corresponding scorecard questions and quality data thresholds
• tools and resources
• examples of how BFZ communities have achieved that domain’s BFZ quality data threshold

All Singles Quality Data Domains

The theory behind quality data

BFZ’s methodology is based on the idea that to build systems that can prevent, quickly detect, and permanently resolve homelessness, you need five things:

1. a shared definition of the right end-state
2. an accountable community-wide team
3. real-time data, which accounts for everyone by name and need (by-name data)
4. centering of racial equity
5. targeted and data-driven housing investments

This toolkit focuses on helping communities create the systems necessary to have a by-name dataset that accounts for everyone experiencing homelessness by name and need.

How does BFZ define by-name data?

By-name data (sometimes referred to as a by-name list) is a comprehensive data source of every person in a community experiencing homelessness, updated in real-time. Using information collected and shared with their consent, each person in the dataset has a file that includes their name, homeless history, health, and housing needs. This data is updated monthly, at minimum.