Community Solutions is thrilled to announce that the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) has unanimously adopted a resolution urging Congress to accelerate solving homelessness by prioritizing adoption of real time, by-name data as a top domestic priority. The resolution was adopted at their 92nd Annual Meeting in 2024.
Why does this matter?
Adopting this resolution by the USCM marks a significant step forward in building consensus that data modernization is a major system driver for making homelessness rare and brief. This resolution calls for updating the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to provide dynamic, real-time, person-specific data and reporting. These improvements would enable communities to implement efficient service solutions based on data, identify and resolve bottlenecks, and optimize resource allocation based on local market dynamics. By recognizing the crucial role of data modernization, the USCM advocates for increased federal support and investment in modern data systems.
Community Solutions is honored to have collaborated with Mayors and CEOs for U.S. Housing Investment to educate elected officials on the power of data modernization to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring. This joint effort led to the resolution that the USCM adopted.
Read the resolution
WHEREAS, the lack of real-time, by-name data to address homelessness severely impedes effective service coordination and rapid housing solutions, thus exacerbating the homelessness crisis across the nation; and
WHEREAS, a significant barrier to reducing homelessness is underutilization of the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to provide real-time, by name data about who is experiencing homelessness, data analytics and interoperability with other critical systems including behavioral health and criminal justice; and
WHEREAS, communities that have access to high-quality, real-time, by-name data are shown to more effectively reduce homelessness by identifying and resolving service bottlenecks and better allocating resources; and
WHEREAS, opportunities exist for the federal government to greatly enhance local efforts to combat homelessness through increased support and investment in modern data systems, enabling communities to implement efficient real-time data solutions; and
WHEREAS, modernizing HMIS to serve as a dynamic platform capable of real-time, person-specific data and reporting would significantly improve the operational capacity of homeless services across the United States to make homelessness rare and brief; and
WHEREAS, legislative clarification that HMIS could be a modern, person-centered platform for communities to leverage to its fullest potential, thus enabling more strategic and rapid responses to homelessness; and
WHEREAS, the interoperability of HMIS with other critical data systems is essential for holistic service delivery that can more effectively address the complex needs of individuals experiencing homelessness; and
WHEREAS, ensuring HMIS compliance with updated data standards and the ability to produce a by-name list on a real-time basis is crucial for frontline workers to coordinate services and expedite the housing process; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States Conference of Mayors urges the U.S. Congress and the Administration to recognize the crucial role of data modernization in addressing homelessness, and to prioritize resources toward a nationwide enhancement of homeless data systems to improve service delivery and achieve significant reductions in homelessness.
Community Solutions would like to thank USCM and the resolutions’ co-sponsoring mayors for their commitment to implementing proven solutions to end homelessness.
Mayor Beatty (Beaverton, OR)
Mayor Bibb (Cleveland, OH)
Mayor Breed (San Francisco, CA)
Mayor Castor (Tampa, FL)
Mayor Daggett (Flagstaff, AZ)
Mayor Dyer (Fresno, CA)
Mayor Evans (Rochester, NY)
Mayor Giles (Mesa, AZ)
Mayor Guerrero (West Sacramento, CA)
Mayor Lueb (Tigard, OR)
Mayor Richardson (Long Beach, CA)
Mayor Rickenmann (Columbia, SC)
