Rhode Island HMIS

Rhode Island launched its Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) in July of 2003 with 24 agencies and 60 programs. It has grown over the years so that as of 2010 it covers 40 agencies and 182 programs. The purpose of the HMIS is to collect data on homelessness prevention programs, emergency shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing in order to systematically investigate how to end homelessness for individuals and families as eventually to end homelessness as an institution in our state.

Rhode Island HMIS is housed at the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless http://www.rihomeless.org . Administrative oversight is provided by the HMIS Steering Committee and by the HMIS Data Quality Committee. Both committees report to the Office of Homelessness and Emergency Assistance of the Rhode Island Housing Resources Commission www.hrc.ri.gov , an advisory commission to the Governor that is responsible for developing housing policy and for implementing the state’s plan to end homelessness. That plan, released in January of 2006, proposes a complex multilayered approach to ending homelessness that includes the development of permanent supportive housing, rental assistance, homeless prevention, and Housing First initiatives.