HIFIS Data Analysis Framework

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Section C: Towards a Nationwide Analysis

The increased demand from all levels of government and other funders for accurate, consistent and timely information on the homeless population and homeless service utilization is unprecedented. Community stakeholders express a need for accurate data to improve homelessness services, planning and decision making. As the only database that collects national data capable of providing an accurate picture of the nature and scope of homelessness across the country, the HIFIS Initiative must make every effort to enhance the robustness of the HIFIS software, the data analysis capacity of HIFIS stakeholders and HIFIS coverage in Canadian communities.

Increasing the number of Data Sharing Protocols

Because HIFIS is the only national database, it is important to deal with the issues causing resistance to sharing data among homelessness stakeholders. If the issue is lack of trust, stakeholders need to know that the Data Sharing Protocol (DSP) contains the absolute right to privacy and confidentiality of individuals and families concerning personal information, as stipulated in the federal, provincial and territorial freedom of information and protection of privacy acts. The DSP establishes parameters that define when data is transmitted, which data is shared, who receives and owns the data, and how the data is protected. The DSP serves as a guideline for data exchange with the federal government. At the federal level, no client-identifying information is shared; only aggregated data is exchanged to protect the client’s privacy. This protocol can be used as a model for cities and communities that want to sign agreements with shelters and service providers. The signing of the DSP requires constant communication with shelter users to ensure privacy and enable data sharing. Without the signing of the DSP, communities cannot send exports to increase the data available for analysis and research. Getting more DSPs signed makes the national HIFIS database more reliable because its data represents a broader range of shelters and a larger number of shelter beds and services.

The HIFIS software has been implemented in approximately 38 percent of shelters in Canada. It is important to note that this represents a more significant coverage in terms of beds available for homeless people in Canada. In fact, more than 60 percent of these shelters are large institutions with a number of beds ranging from 50 to more than 100 (as illustrated in the graphic above). While the HIFIS coverage is significant, there are regional gaps in representation, resulting in an incomplete national picture of shelter usage and the characteristics of the homeless population. Currently, out of 581 registered HIFIS users (438 are shelters), 292 organizations have signed a DSP with the Government of Canada.

Increasing the number of data exports to the HIFIS Initiative

Exporting data is a Data Sharing Protocol requirement

An increase in the number of data exports to the HIFIS Initiative would compensate for the gaps in HIFIS coverage across Canada. The DSP details the methodology and guidelines for data submission, aggregation and reporting. It defines the roles and responsibilities of the Government of Canada, the HIFIS CCs and service providers in dealing with the HIFIS exports. According to the DSP, service providers or HIFIS CCs are required to submit data export files from the 10 mandatory fields to the national HIFIS team on a monthly or quarterly basis. The national HIFIS Initiative has received data exports from over 170 shelters and service providers out of the 284 that have signed a DSP. Without data exports, it is difficult for the Homelessness Partnering Secretariat to determine who is accessing homeless services or what the patterns of shelter use are. Having this information will inform planners, researchers and policy makers on the characteristics of individuals who experience homelessness in Canada and on homelessness services utilization and effectiveness.

HIFIS CCs will be required to set targets, create incentives and be proactive in setting up a data coordination committee. This committee, comprised of HIFIS users and service providers, will help facilitate the flow of exports from shelters to HIFIS CCs to the national HIFIS team. The tool Adventures in Data Coordination, presented by Jacques Daigle at the annual HIFIS Community Coordinators’ conference and posted on the CC Web forum, is a good model for tracking HIFIS export files.

Adding more fields to the Data Sharing Protocol

The limits of the mandatory fields of the current Data Sharing Protocol

Out of these ten fields, five identify the shelter facility being used: the “shelter name,” the “shelter ID” and the “shelter purpose.” These fields answer questions such as: Which shelter are we dealing with? How many beds and overflow beds does the shelter have? How are the beds being used? How often are the beds being used by the same individuals or families, and for how long?

1. “HIFIS ID” is the number given by the HIFIS Initiative to each shelter at registration time.
2. “Shelter name and ID code” is the name and identification code of the sheltering facilities providing temporary and short-term accommodation for homeless individuals and families.
3. “Shelter purpose” is the description of purpose of the shelter, which may be limited to just sheltering or may include supports such as food, clothing and counselling.
4. “Bed count” is the number of registered beds and overflow beds available in the shelter.
5. “Shelter type” identifies the type of shelter, such as emergency, Aboriginal, addictions (damp, dry or wet), drop-in, second-stage, single room occupancy, supportive, transitional, etc.

   The five remaining fields collected under the DSP deal with the characteristics of the people using shelters. These five fields are the “unique client ID,” the “date of birth,” the “gender,” the “book-in date” and the “book-out date.”

6. “Unique client ID” is non-traceable client identification based on date of birth, name and family name.
7. “Client date of birth” is based on birth certificates issued, using the information from the original registration of birth, completed at the time of birth.
8. “Client gender” is the self-identified gender of the client, such as female, male, transgender, etc.
9. “Registration book-in date” is the day a client registers for a stay in the shelter.
10. “Registration book-out date” is the day of departure of a client from the shelter.

During the production of the Yellowknife Community Report, the national HIFIS team realized that it would only provide a sample of what can be learned from HIFIS data being collected in the community. Although helpful as a snapshot of the lives of homeless individuals in Yellowknife and how they use shelters, drawing on more data fields could have revealed why the individuals are homeless and evaluated their progress towards housing stability. In the year ahead, the national HIFIS team will strategize with HIFIS CCs on how to conduct more in-depth analysis and meet the increasing challenges of the HPS focus on housing outcomes. The following fields were agreed to at the annual HIFIS Community Coordinators’ conference in September 2007:

1. “Reasons for service” is the primary factor that led an individual or a family to the shelter registration desk. Only one overriding reason to seek shelter should be entered and it can relate to a place (e.g. living on the street; discharged from another shelter, a mental health or criminal justice institution, etc.) or to a critical situation (e.g. women fleeing violence, discharge from a program or an institution, etc.).
2. “Contributing factors” provide additional information on the overriding reason that led an individual or family to the shelter. These factors are either ongoing or they preceded the actual request for shelter and will help determine the types of interventions or services needed (e.g. physical or mental abuse, a recent conflict with the law, a developmental disability, a recent breakdown in family relationship, a financial crisis, an eviction, etc.).
3. “Reasons for turnaway” can provide key information on client status (e.g. currently barred because of safety or security risks, intoxicated, etc.) or identify gaps in services (e.g. ineligibility for service because of gender, no beds are available, etc.).
4. “Reasons for discharge” can provide information such as book-out and stay details that explain the reasons why individuals were discharged from a shelter (e.g. admitted to a hospital, a detoxification centre, another shelter; a health, housing, legal aid or social services agency; or to settlement services, etc.); or inform on their destination after discharge (e.g. independent, private market or residential care facility; subsidized housing, etc.).

   The national HIFIS team is considering the addition of extra mandatory fields to provide data on family. These fields would help meet the new focus of the HPS, and address the increase in family homelessness and housing instability that today’s statistics indicate.

5. “Family roles,” “marital status” and “relationship to parents” are three fields that may provide useful information on families. Some HIFIS users want to report partners in a couple; heads of family, with number of dependants and the nature of the relationship to parents (e.g. birth child, foster child or adopted child).
6. “Housing-related fields,” if they were made mandatory, would focus on the data collected on the places of origin before requesting service or being discharged, and the data on the destination after leaving the system. The HIFIS user could provide accurate data that would link clients to emergency sheltering (e.g. YMCA/YWCA, transition house, single room occupancy, etc.); or to more stable housing circumstances (e.g. co-operatives, subsidized or social housing, supported housing, residential care facilities, etc.).

Making linkages to other databases at the federal and provincial levels

The HIFIS Initiative also promotes the ongoing development of collaborative approaches with federal and provincial governments. HIFIS will continue to provide data on a per-request basis to federal departments and also explore opportunities to link the HIFIS national database with other federal databases. Provincial and territorial governments have expressed an interest in implementing the HIFIS software to collect shelter and service provider data. The HIFIS and Newfoundland and Labrador regional collaborative initiative is the most recent illustration of steps taken to share data between the federal and provincial governments. HIFIS CCs are in a good position to facilitate relationship building and establish linkages between the federal and provincial/territorial governments.

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