Recording Current Living Situations

This article will walk through how to record a Current Living Situation (CLS) and intended for Street Outreach, Coordinated Entry, and other CE Access points (such as emergency shelters).

What is a Current Living Situation (CLS)?

A Current Living Situation is a record of contact interaction between the client and service providers. The CLS records the date and location of each interaction and provides valuable information on the number of interactions required before a client is engaged by the project, or for coordinated entry purposes, before a client is no longer experiencing homelessness.

The first Current Living Situation with the client will always occur at the same point as Project Start Date and therefore requires a record to be opened in the HMIS for the client.

Use of Current Living Situation

Street Outreach

All street outreach projects are expected to record every meaningful interaction made with each client by
recording their Current Living Situation, including (but not limited to) at the Project Start Date &/or when the Date of Engagement is recorded. In the event a client has not been in contact longer than the "community-defined length of time" (aka 90 days), the project exit date should be recorded as of the last recorded CLS.

Per the HMIS Data Standards Manual: "Contacts that require the collection of Current Living Situation include activities such as a conversation between a street outreach worker and client about the client's well-being or needs, an office visit to discuss their housing plan, or a referral to another community service."

Coordinated Entry

For Coordinated Entry projects, CLS will be recorded anytime any of the following occurs:

At Project Start; or
A Coordinated Entry Assessment or Coordinated Entry Event is recorded; or
The client's living situation changes; or
Other meaningful interactions with the client (or at least every 90 days)

Access Points and Emergency Shelters

To increase data quality and management of coordinated entry within the community, Access Point projects and Emergency Shelters will record CLS at the time of Project Start, at a minimum.

Set Enter Data As Mode
Search for client by name or HMIS ID
Set Back Date Mode
Click on the Entry/Exit tab
Create appropriate assessment
- If this is the first interaction, the Current Living Situation will be recorded within the Project Start assessment.
- If this is an additional interaction, the Current Living Situation will be recorded within an Interim assessment.
Click Add on the Current Living Situation sub-assessment table.
Fill in the Start Date, Information Date, and End Date all as the same date. These dates should match the Back Date Mode and the date of the assessment being completed.
From the Current Living Situation drop down, select the option that best matches where the client is currently (or where the client anticipates they will be tonight) sleeping:
- - If Other is selected, the "if 'other', specify" text field must also be completed.
  - Other Situation: Worker unable to determine (HUD), is only a valid option for PATH outreach workers! No other project types are permitted to make this selection.
  - Any project may select from a Homeless, Temporary, Permanent or Other situation. If selecting Other situation please be sure to write in the Location details if possible.
Click the Look Up button next to "Living Situation verified by" * indicates required questions.
- In the Search bar, type the agency or project name (numbers will not work) and then click Search
- Locate the project name and click the green plus icon to select the project.
The Current Living Situation selected will determine the next steps:
- If the CLS was one of the three options under the "Homeless Situations" section (Place Not Meant for Habitation, Emergency Shelter, incl. hotel/motel paid for w/ES voucher, or RHY-funded Host Home shelter, or Safe Haven), Do not enter any further information in the other section. Scroll to the bottom and click Save.
- If the Current Living Situation selected was one of the options under the "Institutional Situations", "Temporary and Permanent Housing Situations", or "Other" sections, complete the follow up Yes/No questions ("Is client going to have to leave their current living situation within 14days?"). If the follow-up question is yes, the next five questions must also be completed. Once all required questions are complete, click Save.