This article provides a listing of applications that include Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) functionality. Although the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that Continuums of Care (CoCs) receiving HUD funds for homeless services implement an HMIS for data collection and reporting purposes, they do not require the use of any one application. Rather, they require that the data be collected in a manner consistent with the HMIS Data Standards and that they generate key reports such as the HUD Annual Performance Report (APR) and the Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR). The APR is a program-level report that includes information about data quality, demographic data related to clients served, and performance indicators of a program's success in working with clients. The AHAR is a broader report which is submitted at the CoC level and aggregated at a national level. Any application that collects data consistent with HUD's published data standards and generates the required reports may be considered an HMIS.
Although HUD has released data standards and programming specifications for some reports, HUD does not endorse or explicitly approve any HMIS application. HUD provides certification for related CMS products for Housing Counseling Agencies, information can be found below.