Data Definitions

Data Definitions (developed by SSHA)

Inflow: People who are recorded as entering the shelter system in the reporting month. Inflow data include: 

1. Newly Identified: People who are recorded as using an overnight homelessness service for the first time in the reporting month. 

• Newly identified for the Chronically Homeless sub-population: People who were not considered chronically homeless in the previous month but are reported as experiencing chronic homelessness in the new reporting month.

2. Returned from Permanent Housing: People who were previously recorded as "Moved to Permanent Housing" (see definition below) and returned to an overnight homelessness service in the reporting month.

3. Returned to shelter: People who were previously recorded as "No recent shelter use" (see definition below) and returned to an overnight homelessness service in the reporting month.

Outflow: People who are recorded as leaving the shelter system in the reporting month. Outflow data include:

4. Moved to Permanent Housing: People who are recorded as discharged from the shelter system and moved to a permanent housing arrangement in the reporting month. 

5. No recent shelter use: People who are recorded as discharged to any destination other than permanent housing and have not used an overnight homelessness service within three recent months.

Actively Experiencing Homelessness:

6. Actively Experiencing Homelessness: All people who are recorded as having used an overnight homelessness service at least once in the recording month or in the previous two months and were not discharged to permanent housing.

Sub-population data: The data can be filtered by a number of sub-populations. Sub-population data include: 

7. All populations: Total number of all people counted in the report.

8. Chronically homeless: People who meet one of the two criteria below, as per the federal definition of chronic homelessness:  

• The person has a minimum of 180 overnight stays in the past year (365 days); or

• The person has recurrent overnight stays over the past three years with a total length of at least 546 nights

9. Families: People who are recorded as a family unit while accessing a family designated overnight service. 

10. Unaccompanied Youth: People who are between 16 and 24 years old by the last date of the reporting month and are not recorded at members of a family unit (see definition above).

11. Single Adult: People who are neither recorded as youth nor as members of a family unit.

12. Refugees: People who either identified as refugees during intake to a shelter system or were referred to a program designated for refugees.

13. Non-Refugees: People who are not recorded as Refugee (see definition above)