Permanent Housing (RRH, PSH & OPH)

All materials developed by ICA are based on the Bitfocus Clarity HMIS platform and reflect the most current information available to us. Materials are updated as new information, guidance, and functionality are released by the vendor. Because the system continues to evolve, there may be updates or changes to the interface or functionality that are not yet reflected in these materials. ICA will continue to review and update these resources as additional information becomes available from Bitfocus.

Rapid Rehousing (RRH)

Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) is a housing intervention designed to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness quickly obtain permanent housing and achieve housing stability. RRH typically combines housing identification, rental assistance, and supportive services. The goal is to reduce the length of time a household experiences homelessness and help them transition to stable housing as quickly as possible.

HMIS provides a centralized system for recording client information, program enrollment, housing-related milestones, services, financial assistance, and program exits. Accurate and timely data entry allows providers and Continuums of Care (CoCs) to understand how RRH programs are serving households and how effectively participants are moving from homelessness to permanent housing.

HMIS data can help document outcomes such as time from enrollment to housing placement, housing move-in dates, length of participation, exits to permanent housing, and other required program and performance measures. This information supports program monitoring, HUD reporting, system performance measurement, and evaluation of the community’s overall response to homelessness.

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs provide long-term, affordable housing combined with supportive services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness who have a disability and require ongoing assistance to maintain housing stability. Within HMIS, PSH programs use the system to document participant enrollment, housing status, supportive services, and outcomes in accordance with federal, state, and local reporting requirements.

PSH is designed to serve households with the highest barriers to housing, including those experiencing chronic homelessness, serious mental illness, substance use disorders, physical disabilities, or other long-term health conditions. These programs follow a housing-focused approach that prioritizes stable, permanent housing while offering voluntary supportive services to help participants maintain housing and improve overall well-being.

Other Permanent Housing (OPH)

Other Permanent Housing (OPH) programs provide permanent housing opportunities that do not meet the definitions of Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) or Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) but are intended to support long-term housing stability for individuals and families. Within HMIS, OPH programs use the system to document participant enrollment, housing status, services provided, and housing outcomes in accordance with federal, state, local, and Continuum of Care (CoC) reporting requirements.

OPH projects may include a variety of permanent housing models that help households maintain stable housing while receiving varying levels of support. These programs are designed to provide permanent housing without a predetermined end date and may offer housing assistance, case management, or other supportive services based on program requirements.

HMIS serves as the primary system for tracking participant engagement, housing outcomes, and program performance. Accurate and timely data entry allows communities to evaluate the effectiveness of PSH/OPH programs and understand their role within the homeless response system.

HMIS Workflow

Housing Move-in- Date Basics

The Housing Move-In Date is the date a client physically moves into permanent housing. This data element is essential for tracking housing outcomes, measuring program performance, and meeting HUD reporting requirements. It should only be entered once the client has actually occupied the housing unit and should accurately reflect the first day they began residing there.

Once a household moves into housing (keys in hand/physically moving in), staff must return to the head of household's (HoH) enrollment screen to add the HMID. The HMID field is only present on the HoH's enrollment and does not need to be collected for other household members.

There are five common scenarios concerning clients and the Housing Move In Date:

1. If you are enrolling a household into a Rapid Rehousing or Permanent Supportive Housing project, the household is literally homeless, and a Housing Move In Date populates on the client Enrollment, you will need to clear out the Housing Move In Date to show the household is homeless upon Enrollment.

2. If the household becomes physically housed in permanent housing the same day as Enrollment, you will record the Housing Move In Date at Program Enrollment.

3. If the household is permanently housed and transfers to another Agency or voucher they must be exited from the first permanent housing project and entered into the current project with the Housing Move In Date the same as the Enrollment Start Date in the current project.

4. If the household becomes literally homeless after being physically housed, they must be exited on the date they became homeless. If the Agency or project is still working with the client, they must create a new project Enrollment and clear out the old Housing Move In Date from the new Enrollment to show current homelessness.

5. If the household becomes physically housed in permanent housing at some point during their Enrollment in your RRH or PSH project, you will need to record the Housing Move In Date

Important Notes

The HMID is the date a client begins spending the night in the unit and does not necessarily correspond to the lease start date.

It is necessary to collaborate with other providers, especially emergency shelters and transitional housing providers, to ensure enrollments do not overlap. For example, if someone is moving from emergency shelter into housing their shelter exit date should match the HMID, showing that they are only sleeping in one location on any given night.

Housing Move-in- Date Workflow

Navigate to the Programs tab and click into the enrollment.

Locate the Housing Move - in Date and record the date the household became physically housed and the risk of homelessness is no longer

Do not change or update any other data on the enrollment screen. If there are additional changes to the household data, you must create a Status update

Forms

Looking for Permanent Housing forms for your state? Click the link: New England Forms