Overview

Tracking those who have not been assessed

Single Adults Scorecard: Question 5
Youth Scorecard: Question 7
Family Scorecard: Question 6

Does our community have a way to track all people and households experiencing literal homelessness who have not yet been assessed, consented to services, or signed a release of information?

This page, along with related tools, resources, and case studies, will help you answer the tracking unassessed question across all three population scorecards. These resources dig deeper into how a community can effectively count and track people who are actively experiencing homelessness but have not yet been assessed, consented to services, or signed a release of information (ROI).

What is Built for Zero’s approach to individuals who have declined services or have not yet been assessed?

For the purpose of this standard, BFZ is using “Unassessed” as an umbrella term for understanding how to include individuals and households identified as experiencing literal homelessness in your by-name dataset when they have chosen to not engage in services or not yet engaged with services, including assessment and information sharing.

Why does tracking people who have not been assessed or declined services matter?

Quantifying homelessness inclusively 

To truly understand the extent of homelessness in a community, everyone who can be identified must be accounted for, not just those currently engaged in services. All people and households experiencing literal homelessness should be included in the by-name dataset, regardless of their level of engagement, just as they would be counted in the annual Point-in-Time count.

Surfaces system gaps and improvement opportunities

Tracking unassessed individuals helps communities understand why people are not engaging with services. If a significant number of people have not been assessed, it may indicate that teams lack the capacity to conduct assessments. If a substantial number are declining services, it may point to a need for enhanced training in trauma-informed care, person-centered approaches, or rapport-building. Recognizing these patterns is critical for developing a more inclusive and effective homeless response system.

How can my community account for people who have not been assessed or consented to services?

A community’s approach to tracking unassessed individuals and households should be thoroughly documented to ensure a shared understanding across providers. Practices should allow for progressive engagement so that everyone is included in the community’s actively homeless numbers and can be engaged over time.

The [External Tracking Sheet] can be used as a starting point for tracking information on people who have not been assessed or consented to services.

Tracking individuals who have not consented to services

When a provider encounters a person or household who is literally homeless but has not consented to services, there are several ways to include that person in the by-name dataset. One approach is a “non-consent form,” an internal document that collects minimal information. Another is to use anonymous information to identify the individual, either outside of HMIS or through an anonymous HMIS entry. Whichever method a community uses, naming conventions and data entry practices should be consistent across providers.

Tracking individuals who have not been assessed

Even with the best efforts of providers and the system as a whole, some individuals and households may not complete a full assessment, whether because they decline or simply haven’t had the opportunity yet. For many communities, this means looking at who is enrolled in a project versus who has completed an assessment. This distinction also helps highlight how the by-name dataset differs from a prioritization list.

Tracking individuals who have not signed an ROI

If someone is identified as literally homeless but has not signed an ROI to be included in the by-name dataset, the community should identify a method to account for that person or household while deduplicating the list to the best of their ability. Basic information can be noted by an outreach worker without being shared for case management purposes, and these individuals can be added anonymously to the by-name dataset through case conferencing.

What does this look like in HMIS?

According to HUD’s HMIS guidance: “Street Outreach and Coordinated Entry projects may record a project entry with limited information about the client and improve on the accuracy and completeness of client data over time by editing data in an HMIS as they engage the client. The initial entry may be as basic as the ‘Project Start Date’ and a ‘code name; (e.g., ‘Redhat Tenthstreetbridge’) response in the name field that would be identifiable for retrieval by the worker in the system. Over time, the data must be edited for accuracy (e.g., replacing ‘Redhat’ with ‘Robert’) as the worker learns more details, more information about the client is obtained.”

Other considerations

• If a street outreach organization identifies someone experiencing homelessness, they should document the interaction ideally by creating a program entry in HMIS, and add information over time through progressive engagement, even if the person has not yet been assessed or has declined assessment
• If a person does not sign an ROI for their information to be shared, an anonymous record can be created in HMIS
• Communities should regularly ask: who is not making it into our dataset, and why?

Population-Specific Guidance

The content above applies to tracking unassessed System-wide across all populations. The sections below highlight key nuances and considerations for specific populations. (On the toolkit website, these sections will appear as collapsible accordions.)