HMIS Newsletter: January 2026

The New Year, New Policies & Procedures!

Updates:

New Anonymous Client Workflow: The new procedure can be found here. Please be sure to review it and implement moving forward.

New ROI Feature:

E-signature feature now live! Please the ”other” right in option box for initialing is not available on this feature.  We are looking into editing the ROI to include instructions for the other box.

Adobe/Docusign ROI Upload: End users can upload an Adobe signature or DocuSign signed ROI using the attached PDF option.

Data Cascading:

Data Cascading is now active for enrollments and assessments. This feature pulls data from the last 365 days to save time, but it requires careful oversight:

Review Before Saving: Always verify auto-populated data with the client to ensure it isn't outdated.

Correct "Bad" Data: Be vigilant about inherited errors; if incorrect data is carried over, it becomes your program's responsibility to fix it.

Monitor Reporting Impact: Remember that uncorrected data directly affects your program's performance metrics and community benchmarks.

LSA Submission

The Longitudinal System Analysis, better known as the LSA, is finally done, and was submitted to HUD on January 16, 2026! We would like to extend our sincere thanks for your hard work on the data cleanup. We truly appreciate the time and effort you’ve dedicated to this process and for your prompt responses throughout.

As a recap, the LSA is an annual report produced by Continuum of Care’s (CoC) Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and provides HUD and the CoC with critical information about how people experiencing homelessness use their system of care. The LSA is essentially a massive export of information and includes:

  • Demographic data such as age, race and ethnicity, veteran status, etc. Please note that this year’s LSA is not reporting Sex or Gender data, however you may have local reporting that include one or both of these demographics.
  • Length of time homeless and patterns of system use
  • Information on special populations, such as veterans and people/households
    experiencing chronic homelessness
  • Housing outcomes for those who exit the homeless services system

The LSA also provides information about patterns of system use prior to exit, destination types, and, for those who were served again later by continuum projects, lengths of time between exit and re-engagement or returns to homelessness.

Thank you again for helping us ensure this year’s LSA submission was successful!

2026 Point-in-Time Count: 1/29/26

The 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is scheduled for 1/29/2026. This annual effort provides a vital snapshot of both sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness in our community. https://www.housingfirstsolano.org/hic-pit-count-2/

Alongside the PIT, we will conduct the Housing Inventory Count (HIC). This report provides HUD with a comprehensive look at available beds and the total number of clients served across these program types:

  • Emergency Shelter
  • Transitional Housing
  • Rapid Re-housing
  • Permanent Housing Types 
  • Safe Haven

The HIC includes all programs, regardless of whether they use HMIS. To ensure our community’s data is complete:

  • Non-HMIS Providers: You will receive a Non-Participating Program form to record your data for the night of the count.
  • HMIS-Participating Providers: Please prioritize data cleanup to ensure HUD receives the highest quality information.

What HMIS information should be reviewed?

  • Client Information: To ensure our community provides HUD with the highest quality data, please verify that all relevant client records—including profile demographics, enrollment/exit dates, move-in dates, and housing services—are complete and up-to-date for the PIT count date.
  • Program Information: For all housing projects, please confirm that project start/end dates, available beds and units, and voucher counts are accurate.

Helpful Reports for Preparing for the HIC/PIT: 

  • [GNRL-106] Program Roster: This report outlines program stays and relevant inventory information, based on dates you include when you run the report. The report will include a list of all clients who were enrolled, exited, or remained active during the reporting period.
  • [GNRL-220] Program Details Report: This report is a detailed review of all relevant profile, enrollment, exit, and housing service data in one place.
  • [HSNG-108] Housing Census: This report provides bed occupancy rates by date, with the ability to drill down and see a client list for those dates.
  • [HSNG-200] Current Housing Availability: This report summarizes (by housing project type, then program name) the amount of available bed and unit inventory on the night before the report is run. This is most helpful for ensuring your program configurations are accurate.

Thank you for your diligence and commitment to data quality, which ensures the success and accuracy of our annual PIT Count. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Bitfocus Administration team: solano-admin@bitfocus.com

Bitfocus Feature Release

In February, we’re releasing several updates to help your community get the most out of Clarity. Here are some of the key changes you should know about:

  • Enrollment Screens: We’ve improved enrollment screens and warnings around disabling conditions.
  • New Interface: We’ve continued adding more functionality to the new Clarity interface. Making changes to and messaging with Care team members is much easier now! A “documentation requirements” section has been added to the referral screen, streamlining eligibility steps. And a Coordinated Entry analysis tab has been added with more clear ways to review all of the ways we work with referrals.

See it in action: Join our Feature Focus on February 5th at 10 am PT.

Read the details: Check out the February 2026 Features article for a deep dive into these changes.

Try it yourself: These updates will be available in your Training Site starting January 27, 2026. If you need help exploring them, reach out to your Bitfocus Administration team: solano-admin@bitfocus.com

Clarity/HMIS Office Hours

Solano HMIS Clarity Office Hours

When: Third Tuesday of Each Month

Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

What are "Office Hours":

We know that lots of issues and questions can arise when using Clarity (HMIS). Office Hours are a great opportunity to get your questions answered, see demos of anything you can't figure out or can't remember how to do, find out how to fix things that might have gotten messed up, and participate in discussions with other users around solutions to common challenges.

Please note this is not an actual training that is taking place, but a space for you to drop in, ask a question and then drop off if you choose to. But as stated above, we can definitely do demos if needed.

Clarity HMIS Office Hours Include the Following Topics:

  • Reports & Report Library
  • Data Entry
  • ROI
  • General Questions
  • Demos

Not Sure About Something...Come Join Us! Register Here!

Bitfocus is Hiring

Join our Team!

  • Work with us at Bitfocus! Join a team committed to innovation, collaboration, and real-world impact in human services. 

Need Help?

Your HMIS Administrators are happy to help.

Microsite Signature_Bryanna

Bryanna Corsbie

Phone: 888-866-1533 x 809

Email: solano-admin@bitfocus.com