Project Descriptor Data Elements
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA envisions that people with, affected by, or at risk for mental health and substance use conditions receive care, achieve well-being, and thrive.
HOUSING
ESG Funding" refers to two different concepts: Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), a federal program from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to address homelessness; and ESG Funds in finance, investments that incorporate Environmental, Social, and Governance factors into their decision-making criteria. The correct interpretation depends on the context of the query.
HUD stands for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It's an executive branch agency that handles national housing policy and community development. HUD runs programs to provide housing assistance, promote fair housing opportunities, and support homeownership. It also plays a key role in urban development and disaster recovery efforts.
Universal Data El
ements
HMIS Universal Data Elements are elements required to be collected by all projects participating in HMIS, regardless of funding source. Projects funded by any one or more of the federal partners must collect the Universal Data Elements (UDEs), as do projects that are not funded by any federal partner (e.g., missions) but have agreed to enter data as part of the CoC’s HMIS implementation.
The UDEs are the basis for producing unduplicated estimates of the number of people experiencing homelessness accessing services from homeless assistance projects, basic demographic characteristics of people experiencing homelessness, and patterns of service use, including information on shelter stays and homelessness over time.
The UDEs are the foundation on which the Longitudinal System Analysis (LSA) is developed. The LSA informs the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR), which provides Congress with national estimates of the current state of homelessness across the United States and the use of homeless assistance programs. The AHAR is a critical resource for informing the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and other federal partners on the nature of homelessness in the United States and provides a unique longitudinal lens to inform homelessness policy nationwide. The LSA is also used locally via the Stella tool to inform communities on how trends in their local homeless population change over time. UDEs also help local communities to better target resources and position programs to end homelessness in an equitable and just manner/process.