1 / 16

Outline

Housing and Homelessness Branch The Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) Initiative Community Forum on Homelessness Ottawa, Ontario November 2006. Outline. The National HIFIS Initiative HIFIS National Database Data Sharing Protocol

payton
Download Presentation

Outline

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Housing and Homelessness BranchThe Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) InitiativeCommunity Forum on Homelessness Ottawa, OntarioNovember 2006

  2. Outline • The National HIFIS Initiative • HIFIS National Database • Data Sharing Protocol • Advantages and Limitations of HIFIS Data • Reports on Homelessness

  3. HIFIS Vision and Mission • Vision • Create community empowerment through accurate information. • Mission • Support shelter providers in addressing the information needs and in networking with each other and with their stakeholders to make informed decisions in the achievement of their goals.

  4. HIFIS Objectives Objectives • Facilitate a national network of data sharing partnerships and management of a national database; • Create and implement information services, tools and technology for the capacity development of Shelter Providers; and • Disseminate national analysis, reports and information to all stakeholders and the public.

  5. HIFIS - What We Offer • HIFIS Software & Tools • 1-800 HIFIS Help Desk • Free on-site technical support • Free computers and operating software • Community training—HIFIS Software and Data Analysis • Support sustainable community coordination data activities

  6. HIFIS – Where We Are? • Ongoing implementation of HIFIS • Launch and continue to develop HIFIS 3 • Disseminate precise national/community data on homelessness • Strengthen existing partnerships • Transfer ownership of HIFIS to stakeholders

  7. HIFIS National Database • The HIFIS Initiative has been collecting data from homeless shelters across Canada since 2001. • The HIFIS National Database provides a national picture of the nature and scope of homelessness. • The National HIFIS Database is comprised of: • The Shelter Provider List • HIFIS Export Data

  8. Current Status of the HIFIS National Database • Negotiate data sharing protocols with shelter providers as well with larger organizations representing a network of shelters. • Analyze incoming shelter data from communities that have signed data sharing protocols. • Develop effective reports that will inform stakeholder communities and all levels of government that need it. • Continue to explore and research opportunities to link the National Database with other databases at the federal and provincial levels.

  9. Data Sharing Protocol Data Elements • HIFIS can gather information on over 150 fields and is continually expanding. Data Access • Under the HIFIS Initiative, shelter providers exercise full ownership over their data; data sharing occurs on a voluntary basis. • The exchange of information is controlled by a data sharing protocol.

  10. Data Sharing Pathways • Other Government • Departments • HIFIS • Coordinator • National Homelessness • Initiative Shelter Providers Public Researchers

  11. Data Sharing Protocol • Data collected by the HIFIS Initiative includes the following eight fields: • Shelter ID code • Shelter type (as identified by shelters) • Bed Count and Overflow • Client unique ID • Client date of birth • Client gender • Client registration book in date • Client registration book out date • No identifying information, such as name and social insurance number is exported to the HIFIS Initiative

  12. Advantages and Limitations Advantages • Increases the knowledge regarding the prevalence and characteristics of homelessness in Canada • Helps to inform policy, program and research development • Empowers communities with accurate data on people who are homeless Limitations • Not all shelter providers have signed DSPs • Scope of the HIFIS Initiative is limited to eight fields • Data entry errors can limit the reliability of information that is exported to the HIFIS Initiative

  13. Reporting Templates • Seven reporting templates have been developed to present the data obtained through the HIFIS Initiative • The reporting templates respond to the following questions: • Who uses emergency shelters? • How many people use emergency shelters? • What are the patterns of emergency shelter use? • How often do individuals and families access emergency shelters in a given year? • Where do people access emergency shelters? • What’s the current capacity for housing people who are using emergency shelters? • How much of the current capacity is being utilized?

  14. Table 1: Patterns of Shelter Use in Ontario Communities, 2005

  15. Table 2: Demographic Characteristics of Shelter Users, 2005

  16. HIFIS – For More Information https://www.hifis.ca

More Related