Background

Within Data Element 3.917 Prior Living Situation, Type of Residence is intended to reflect from the client's last living situation immediately prior to the Project Start Date, not where the client was on the date the information is being collected. For projects that do not provide lodging, the 'type' of residence may be the same as the client's current living situation. This data element is used with other information to identify whether a client appears to meet the criteria for chronic homelessness. For additional information, please refer to the HMIS Data Standard Manual.

 

Type of Residence: 

In this Knowledge Base article, we will take a closer look at Field 1 within the Prior Living Situation Data Element, Type of Residence. For a full list of responses, please refer to the HMIS Data Standards Manual - Appendix A - Living Situation Response Categories and Descriptions. 
 

• Project Type Applicability: All Programs - All Components
• Data Collected About: Head of Household and Adults 
• Collection Point: Project Start
• Screens in HMIS: Enrollment Screen 

 

When enrolling a client into a project, the Type of Residence will be recorded within the enrollment screen. 

 

Types of Residence fall under five categories: 

 

1. Homeless Situations 

2. Institutional Situations

3. Temporary Housing Situations

4. Permanent Housing Situations (with Subtypes)

5. Other 

 

Homeless Situations

A. Place not meant for habitation (e.g. a vehicle, abandoned building, bus/train/subway station/airport or anywhere outside).

B. Emergency shelter, including hotel or motel paid for with emergency shelter voucher, Host Home shelter

C. Safe Havens

 

Institutional Situations

A. Foster care home or foster care group home
B. Hospital or other residential non-psychiatric medical facility
C. Jail, prison, or juvenile detention facility
D. Long-term care facility or nursing home
E. Psychiatric hospital or other psychiatric facility
F. Substance abuse treatment facility or detox center 

 

Transitional Housing Situations

A. Transitional housing for homeless persons (including homeless youth)
B. Residential project or halfway house with no homeless criteria
C. Hotel or motel paid for without emergency shelter voucher 
D. Host Home (non-crisis)
E. Staying or living in a friend’s room, apartment, or house
F. Staying or living in a family member’s room, apartment, or house

 

Permanent Housing Situations

A. Rental by client, no ongoing housing subsidy*
B. Rental by client, with ongoing housing subsidy*
C. Owned by client, with ongoing housing subsidy
D. Owned by client, no ongoing housing subsidy

 

*Rental Subsidy Type will be will populate to select.

 

Other 

A. Client doesn’t know
B. Client prefers not to answer
C. Data not collected