Correcting Prior Living Situation Errors
Prior Living Situation data is used to gather information about where clients previously stayed before engaging with the project they are enrolling into. It can contribute to program eligibility and is meant to capture accurate homeless history. The accuracy of this data is essential in determining a client’s potential chronic homeless status.
When a client is moving from one project type to another (such as shelter to PSH) it is important that the questions about where they last stayed line up with each project’s enrollment. For example, if moving directly from a shelter enrollment to PSH enrollment, their PLS answers for the shelter enrollment would be different than the answers for the PSH enrollment. The answers should work together to give an accurate portrayal of the client’s history.
Whenever these data points contradict one another or are entered inaccurately, it can cause system errors and even impact a client’s eligibility for certain programs. Any identified errors should be corrected as soon as possible to avoid conflicting data.
This article covers how to find and correct some of the most common errors related to the Prior Living Situation questions. Most of the solutions for this section of data are simple, but it is crucial that the purpose of each question is understood so answers are entered as accurately as possible.
How to Find Prior Living Situation Errors:
The way we track the specific errors in this article is through the HMIS Health Checks we send out monthly. When utilizing HUD’s Eva tool, we are notified of a variety of errors, several relating to the Prior Living Situation. Any of these errors will appear in the “Warning” tab of the workbook.
The two most common errors identified using the Eva tool are:
- Invalid Homelessness Start Date/Number of Months
- Homeless and Homelessness Start Date Conflicts with Living Situation.
Error Overview HUD Guidance: Invalid Homelessness Start Date/Number of Months Homeless Issue: According to this client’s assessment at Project Start, they experienced a single episode of homelessness in the past 3 years, and the approximate date homelessness started is known. However, the total number of months homeless is inconsistent with the provided dates. Note: Each calendar month with at least one night of homelessness counts as a full month. We find clients are often recorded as being homeless one month less than they actually were simply because one month of homelessness wasn’t counted. |
How to Correct
- Double-check the following data for consistency and accuracy:
- Approximate date homelessness began
- Project Start date
- Number of months the client was homeless
- Compare the "Approximate Date Homelessness Began" (from the Prior Living Situation section) to the Project Start date.
- Count each full calendar month the client experienced even one night of homelessness.
- Adjust the "Total Number of Months Homeless" to reflect every applicable month.
Example 1
Scenario: Client became homeless on 2/1/2024 and entered shelter on 3/1/2024
Reported: Only 1 month of homelessness in the past 3 years
Correction: The correct total is 2 months (February and March must both be counted)
Example 2
Scenario:
Client entered the program on 5/6/2025 and reported their homelessness began on 2/13/2025
Reported staying with a family member for over 3 months before that.
Problem:
These responses contradict because the start of homelessness doesn't align with prior living situation.
Resolution (Two Possibilities):
1. If the client came directly from family:
Set “Number of Times Homeless” to 2 times.
Change the "approximate start date" to the day they entered shelter.
2. If the client stayed with family prior to their February homelessness:
Change "Type of Residence" to "Place not meant for human habitation".
Adjust "Total Months Homeless" to 4 months: February, March, April, and May.
HUD Guidance: Homelessness Start Date Conflicts with Living Situation Issue: Client reported their homelessness began more than 3 years ago. This contradicts the following: Number of Times Homeless = 1 Total Number of Months Homeless = Not marked as “More than 12 months” Action Needed: Confirm accuracy of the Prior Living Situation data. If the current episode started more than 3 years ago: Set “Number of Times Homeless” answer to “1 time” Set “Total Number of Months Homeless” answer to “More than 12 months” If homelessness began more recently: Update the “Approximate Date Homelessness Began” Adjust the Number of Times and Months Homeless |
Example 3
Scenario: Client entered the program in 11/9/2021 and reported their homelessness began over 3 years earlier
Correction:
- Set “Length of Stay” answer to “One year or longer”
- Set “Number of Times Homeless” answer to “1 time”
Example 4
Scenario: Client entered the program in 5/24/2024 and reported homelessness began in 2019
Correction:
Since the episode began over 3 years ago and was continuous, set “Number of Times Homeless” answer to “1 time”
Contact
If you need help, or wish to offer suggestions or feedback, please contact the Cincinnati/Hamilton County HMIS support team at HMISsupport@end-homelessness.org or by calling 513-263-2790 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Monday-Friday (excluding holidays).
When contacting HMIS Support about a particular client, please do not send personally identifiable information (PII) such as full name, social security number, or any other information used to determine a person's identity through email. Instead, please send the Clarity Unique Identifier found on the client's Clarity Profile page. You can use the messaging system in Clarity if you need to send personally identifying information.