New Approaches to Capturing Unsheltered Homelessness Data: One Community’s Journey

This presentation delivered at the NHSDC conference in Kansas City detailed a comprehensive, community-led initiative to enhance the collection and use of data on unsheltered homelessness. The Kansas City team highlighted the limitations of traditional Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), particularly their ineffectiveness in field outreach and progressive engagement. In response, the community developed and deployed a mobile app tailored for street outreach, enabling real-time data collection, improved service coordination, and more accurate tracking of client needs and interactions. This person-centered tool fostered greater collaboration among outreach teams, government agencies, and service providers, ultimately laying the groundwork for a shared data infrastructure that supports informed decision-making and equitable resource allocation.

The presentation further explored challenges encountered throughout the initiative, such as data privacy concerns, stakeholder buy-in, and the need for cultural shifts within agencies. Despite these hurdles, the implementation showed significant improvements in data quality, outreach efficiency, and interagency communication. The speakers emphasized the importance of continued community engagement, policy alignment, and cross-departmental collaboration to sustain progress. Kansas City’s experience serves as a model for other jurisdictions seeking to modernize their data systems and address homelessness with greater responsiveness and equity. The initiative underscores how thoughtful integration of technology and human services can drive meaningful systemic change.