3.12 Destination

Rationale: To identify where a client will stay just after exiting a project for purposes of tracking and outcome measurement.

 

Data Collection Instruction: Record where the client is expected to stay after they complete or stop participating in project activities. This is to be collected for all clients at Project Exit.

 

For residential projects that expect a client to move out upon exit (Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, Safe Haven, project-based Permanent Supportive Housing), record where the client is expected to move immediately after leaving. For projects where a client is not expected to relocate upon exit (Homelessness Prevention, Rapid Re-housing, transition in place, or SSO projects), record where the client is expected to stay after they complete or stop participation in project activities. This may be the same place that they were staying during their project enrollment or prior to starting in the project. Select the Destination response category that most closely matches where the client will be staying after exiting the project.

 

If a client moves into rental housing with a subsidy to help them maintain the housing, select the response that includes the type of housing subsidy. A housing subsidy may be tenant-, project-, or sponsor-based and provides ongoing assistance to reduce rent burden. This includes housing subsidies provided through HUD-funded subsidies (e.g., public housing, Housing Choice Voucher or “Section 8”) or other housing subsidy (e.g., state rental assistance voucher). If a client moves in with family or friends, select the response that includes the expected tenure of the destination (permanent or temporary). There is no specific timeframe used to differentiate between 'permanent' or 'temporary.' Rather, the determination should be made based on whether the situation reflects family reunification or whether the family member or friend has placed any limitation that indicates the stay is intended to be temporary (e.g. a specific time limit).

 

'Other' should be used only as a last resort if the client's destination truly cannot be even loosely described by any of the available options. Any response of 'Other' will not count in any HMIS-based reporting as a positive outcome. If a client is moving into a situation that cannot be accounted for by the guidance provided, please submit an HMIS Ask-A-Question on the HUD Exchange with the specific circumstances. HUD and other Federal Partners can assist in appropriate categorization.

 

Note that the client's Destination is about where they are staying, not necessarily about why they are staying there. The destination will depend on the specifics of the situation, but it is important to select a destination response that reflects the true nature of the situation. For example, clients that are exiting to school, to the military, or to certain employment opportunities may have different responses for Destination depending on the specifics. If the client is moving into a dorm or Army-supplied housing, 'Rental by Client, with other ongoing housing subsidy' can be selected, consistent with the notion that these units are not owned by client, have conditions of tenancy, and have a value ascribed to them. If the client is moving into housing with a relative during schooling, 'Living with Family, Permanent Tenure' can be selected, consistent with the notion that the client may stay with the family member for as long as needed to complete school.

 

Mass shelters that track bed nights using the night-by-night method may have high rates of missing Destination data when the client is exited. Often, in this model, a client is exited after a period of time of not coming into the shelter, at which point the opportunity to ask clients where they are going is lost. HUD and other Federal Partners strongly encourage shelters, even large-scale shelters, to consider themselves to be a part of the community's system working to end homelessness. Any steps these projects can take to establish relationships with clients, focus on moving clients into more permanent housing situations, or collaborate with service projects that do so, will improve a system's functioning, data quality, and client outcomes.

 

If data collection staff receive corrected information about a client's exit destination from the client (because the original entry was incorrect), destination responses may be corrected in HMIS. Prior Living Situation data should not be used as the source for Destination, Destination should not be pre-filled at project start, and unconfirmed, word of mouth-type information should not be used as a source for Destination responses in HMIS.

 

Destination Response Guide

• Place not meant for habitation (e.g., a vehicle, an abandoned building, bus/train/subway station/airport or anywhere outside)
• Emergency shelter, including hotel or motel paid for with emergency shelter voucher, or RHY-funded
• Host Home shelter
  • ESG Emergency Shelter
  • HOPWA Hotel/Motel or Short Term Housing
  • RHY BCP shelter or RHY-funded Host Home shelter
  • VA HCHV Community Contract Emergency Housing • Locally-funded shelters
• Safe Haven
  • CoC Safe Haven
  • VA Community Contract Safe Haven
  • Locally-funded Safe Haven type projects
• Foster care home or foster care group home
• Hospital or other residential non-psychiatric medical facility
• Jail, prison or juvenile detention facility
• Long-term care facility or nursing home
• Psychiatric hospital or other psychiatric facility
• Substance abuse treatment facility or detox center
• Residential project or halfway house with no homeless criteria
• Hotel or motel paid for without emergency shelter voucher
• Transitional housing for homeless persons (including homeless youth)
  • CoC Transitional Housing
  • HOPWA Transitional Housing (when moving from non-HOPWA projects)
  • RHY Maternal Group Homes or TLP
  • VA GPD Bridge Housing, Service Intensive Transitional Housing, Hospital to Housing, or Clinical Treatment
  • Any locally-funded transitional housing project (facilitates movement to permanent housing with occupancy agreement for terms from 124 months)
• Host Home (non-crisis)
• Staying or living with friends, temporary tenure (e.g. room, apartment or house)
• Staying or living with family, temporary tenure (e.g. room, apartment or house)
• Staying or living with family, permanent tenure
• Staying or living with friends, permanent tenure
• Moved from one HOPWA funded project to HOPWA PH
  • Limited to use by HOPWA-funded projects
• Moved from one HOPWA funded project to HOPWA TH
  • Limited to use by HOPWA-funded projects
• Rental by client, with GPD TIP housing subsidy
• Rental by client, with VASH housing subsidy
• Permanent housing (other than RRH) for formerly homeless persons
  • CoC Permanent Supportive Housing or Other Permanent Housing projects
  • HOPWA facility/TBRA permanent housing (for Destination: when moving from non-HOPWA projects)
• Rental by client, with RRH or equivalent subsidy
  • Use this response category as a Destination only if the client is moving directly into a unit.
    • CoC Rapid ReHousing
    • ESG Rapid ReHousing
    • VA SSVF Rapid Re-Housing
    • Locally-funded Rapid ReHousing
• Rental by client, with HCV voucher (tenant or project based)
  • Includes HCV with no paired services
• Rental by client in a public housing unit
• Rental by client, no ongoing housing subsidy
  • When a client leaves an RRH project maintaining (or moving to) a rental that they will pay for on their own (without a subsidy of any kind) you should select Rental by Client, no ongoing housing subsidy.
• Rental by client, with other ongoing housing subsidy
  • Any subsidized rental housing other than CoC PSH, HOPWA PH, RRH, GPD TIP, or VASH. Includes legacy SRO and Pay for Success
  • State rental assistance voucher
• Owned by client, with ongoing housing subsidy
• Owned by client, no ongoing housing subsidy
• No exit interview completed
  • This will be considered "missing data" for data quality and reporting purposes. This response should not be used in place of a valid Living Situation response for 3.12 Destination.
• Other
  • Any response of "Other" in Destination will not count in any HMIS based reporting as a positive outcome. Review the above list carefully to determine if any option above is a reasonable match.
  • 211OC has yet to identify any situation in which “Other” is an appropriate response to Destination. Please contact your Agency Administrator (who will then, if necessary, contact the HMIS Help Desk) before selecting “Other” for Destination. If you do select “Other” for Destination, you must provide an explanation in the “Other Destination” field.
• Deceased
• Client doesn't know
• Client refused
• Data not collected

 

Please refer to Appendix A: Living Situation Response Categories and Descriptions for the completed options of Destination options currently available in HMIS.