Minnesota's HMIS

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HMIS News

Upcoming HMIS Data Element Changes

The results are in!

The Minnesota HMIS data element updates for 2026 (FY 2027) will take effect on October 1, 2026.

To help users prepare, we're sharing a summary of the approved changes and information about upcoming training materials and resources.

Each year, Minnesota reviews HMIS data requirements, which usually includes updates from HUD. HUD is not changing any federal HMIS data elements this year, so all approved changes are limited to Minnesota-specific fields.

Changes to Minnesota Universal Data Elements 

Below are changes to Minnesota Universal Data Elements that the Policies and Prioritization committee voted on in their July meeting. 

New Data Elements 

The following fields will be added: 

  • New questions to record death infomation including

    • Whether the client is deceased

    • Date of death

    • Source of the information

  • A new program setup for site based programs

    • County where program operates

    • This will automatically fill in the County where resides field for site-based Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing projects

Updates to Existing Data Elements 

The following project types will no longer collect Minnesota's Extent of Homelessness:  

  • Day Shelter 

  • Emergency Shelter 

  • Street Outreach 

  • Services Only 

  • Homelessness Prevention 

Coordinated Entry projects will begin collecting Minnesota's Extent of Homelessness during client updates. 

Retired Data Elements 

The following fields will be removed: 

  • City of Prior Residence from the Prior Residence section. 

  • Have you been referred to the Homeless Veteran Registry?  

    • This question will be replaced with a notice that gives users clear instructions on how to add a client to the registry if needed. 

Changes to State Program-Specific Data Elements 

These changes only affect the programs listed below. If your program is not listed, there are no program-specific data element changes. 

DHS LTHSSF 

New Data Elements

  • Add Minnesota's Extent of Homelessness as a program-specific field for Supportive Services Only projects. 

Retired Data Elements 

  • If applicable, reason for leaving residence 

  • Did the household stay in their apartment when they exited the program? 

Updates 

  • The following fields will be removed from the Client’s Residence section:

    • Client Street Address 

    • Apartment Number 

    • Development Name (Optional) 

    • Address Quality 

    • Home Phone Number (Optional) 

DHS LTHSSF and DHS Housing Support 

Updates 

  • Current Residence Status will appear first in the Client’s Residence section instead of last. 

  • The Current Residence Status dropdown will be replaced with HUD's Living Situation response categories. 

  • All applicable address fields in the Client’s Residence series will only be collected for households in temporary or permanent housing situations. 

Minnesota Housing FHPAP 

New Data Elements 

  • Add Housing Subsidy Information as a program-specific field. 

  • Add a new field called Total Cost of Rent to help calculate housing cost burden at project exit. 

Updates 

  • Remove Fast Track and FT RD2 from the FHPAP Funding Type dropdown. 

  • Rename FHPAP RD2 to FHPAP RD2 (2024-2025) from the FHPAP Funding Type dropdown. 

DHS Homeless Youth Act and DHS THP 

Updates 

  • Remove the options for Was the household asked to leave the program?  

    • Client doesn't know 

    • Client prefers not to answer 

Minnesota Housing LTH, DHS LTHSSF, DHS Housing Support, and Minnesota Housing Homework Starts with Home 

Updates 

  • The Primary Source of Subsidy dropdown will be updated with the most current list of housing subsidy options. 

  • Only collect Housing Cost – Amount client pays for rent and Housing Subsidy Information when select temporary and permanent housing situations are selected. 

  • Only collect If applicable, reason for leaving residence? if there is a Housing Move-in Date. (This change does not apply to Minnesota Housing Homework Starts with Home.) 

What Happens Next? 

All these changes will go live in HMIS on October 1, 2026, at the beginning of the 2027 Federal Fiscal Year. 

ICA will begin releasing updated training materials in the coming weeks. Watch for announcements through: 

  • News Alerts 

  • Newsletters 

  • Global News within HMIS (for users with access) 

Updated data collection forms will be available by October 1, 2026. 

If you have questions, please contact the ICA Help Desk at mnhmis@icalliances.org. 

 

John Ward