Welcome to HIFIS

The Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) initiative has led the establishment of a community-driven national information system for shelter service providers. The system helps facilities (such as homeless emergency shelters) with their operations and planning activities, while also collecting data on the characteristics of the homeless population across Canada. This data contributes to the Homelessness Partnering Strategy’s objective of increasing the understanding of homelessness and serving all stakeholders across Canada, including service providers, researchers, and multiple levels of governments.

The HIFIS is a free user-friendly electronic records management system built for community stakeholders. It collects information about the population using shelters while assisting in daily operations such as registering clients and reporting on shelter use. The system assists communities with their long-term planning and capacity building to address local challenges.

The HIFIS team provides software and training to improve the operating capacity of shelters and to enable shelters to collect comprehensive data on homeless and at-risk populations at the local level. This data will form the basis for developing a national understanding of homelessness issues and challenges.

Under the HIFIS, the Digital Inclusion Partnership with Industry Canada’s Computers for Schools program, McAfee, Microsoft Canada, and the TelecomPioneers of Canada is addressing the technological needs of Canada’s homeless service and shelter providers. Service providers, particularly those with little or no access to technology, can receive free up-to-date hardware and software along with technological support. This helps them manage client information and communicate with other shelters and programs, allowing for a more effective response to homelessness.

HIFIS is now being used in almost half of the known shelters in Canada to collect comprehensive data on homeless individuals and at-risk populations.