Background

Agencies that are participants in the United Way WelcomeHomeOC project has specific data collection requirements that must be completed in HMIS. In addition to the HUD standard data collection, agencies are required to answer four supplemental entry questions, complete Housing Stabilization Plan assessments, enter services, upload documents, and complete a supplemental exit question.

Accessing the WelcomeHomeOC Project

Data for the WelcomeHomeOC project needs to be entered under the Orange County United Way agency, as they manage this project. To complete data entry for the WelcomeHomeOC project, click on the agency dropdown beneath your name in the top right corner of the HMIS screen, and select Orange County United Way. If you need access to enter data for the WelcomeHomeOC project and the Orange County United Way is not available in this dropdown, please enter a ticket with the HMIS Help Desk.

WelcomeHomeOC Entry Questions

WelcomeHomeOC entry questions are answered on the Enrollment screen at the time a Head of Household is enrolled in the project. If you have questions about the enrollment process, please review the Enrolling Clients in a Project article. Below are the questions required for WelcomeHomeOC Heads of Household, as well as a description of each question. To view the WelcomeHomeOC project Intake Form, click here.

Which agency is providing services to this household? - This question is referring to the agency that is providing case management to the household. The question is used for reporting purposes, and allows reports to be pulled by each agency participating in the WelcomeHomeOC project.
Which funding source is tied to the household? - This question tracks the funding source the household is being served under. This question allows United Way to pull reports on the households served under each of the contracts that fund WelcomeHomeOC. The funding source is determined by the type of voucher the household has received.
- Veterans: VASH vouchers
- CESH: CE Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV)
- Whole Person Care (WPC): Mainstream vouchers
Which Housing Authority issued the housing voucher? - This question allows United Way to complete reporting on the Housing Authority that issued the housing voucher to the household.
What type of voucher was issued? - This question allows the United Way to report on the types of vouchers WelcomeHomeOC provided supportive services for, and serves as a check for the funding source question.
What is the voucher expiration date? - This question tracks the date the household's voucher will expire, so a unit can be found for the household prior to the expiration date, or an extension can be requested if possible.
How many extensions have been granted? - This question tracks the number of extensions the household had already received for their voucher as of their enrollment in the WelcomeHomeOC project, and informs whether or not an extension can be requested. A household can have up to three extensions.

Please note that the Housing Move-In Date field must also be collected for households enrolled in the WelcomeHomeOC project, and should reflect the date the household was placed in a permanent housing unit. The case manager should work with the housing agency to obtain this information.

Housing Stabilization Plan Assessment

The WelcomeHomeOC Housing Stabilization Plan is a needs-based assessment tool designed to be facilitated by a client’s case manager in a question and answer format with the client at the time of move-in. Using the 1-3 rubric, with 1 being “Almost always needs assistance”, 2 being “Sometimes needs assistance”, and 3 being “Almost never needs assistance”, case managers walk their clients through 5 key areas of housing stabilization to gauge where clients need the most support. From the client answers provided, a case manager helps their client identify a goal for each area, and create actionable items with target dates to help the client meet their goal(s). Action items may apply to either the client or the case manager. A Housing Stabilization Plan is required to be completed for each household at the time of move-in, 90 days after move-in, and annually after the move-in.

To access this assessment, follow the steps below.

Click on the Assessments tab under the Head of Household's WelcomeHomeOC enrollment.
Select the Start button next to the OCUW WelcomeHomeOC: Housing Stabilization Plan assessment.

Services

Below is a list of the different types of services that should be collected in HMIS for the WelcomeHomeOC project. Please note that some services are only provided by staff at the OC United Way, and some are provided by the agency that conducts case management with the household. All services should be provided to the Head of Household.

**These services should only be entered by staff at the OC United Way**

Financial Assistance - OCUW Staff Only
- Landlord Bonuses
- Mitigation Fees
- Rental Application Fees
- Security Deposit
- Vacancy Payments
- Furnishings
- Moving Assistance Costs
- Utility Deposits

**These services should be provided by the agency providing case management to the household**

Supportive Services - Service Providers
- Benefits Assistance
- Case Management
- Referral Linkage

To access these services in HMIS, please follow the steps below.

Navigate to the Provide Services tab under the Head of Household's WelcomeHomeOC enrollment.
Select the service category of the service you would like to enter.
Select the service item that you would like to enter.
Enter the Start and End Date of the service. In most cases, the Start and End Date should be the same date.
If applicable, enter any notes related to the service.
Select the Submit button.

Documents

Below is a list of the different types of documents that should be collected in HMIS for the WelcomeHomeOC project. All documents should be entered under the Head of Household's record.

Income Verification - Documentation such as pay stubs, benefit award letters, pension award letters, or bank statements to verify receipt of income stated on rental application. Must be provided for all proposed residents 18 years old and over.
Rental Application - For each member of the household 18 years old and over, include a completed and signed CAA rental application, color ID, income verification, and signed OC United Way ROI. In addition, include the head of household’s housing voucher. If applicable, include up-to-date vaccination records for any pets or service animals, and a letter of recommendation for each service animal from a qualified physician or social worker.
Housing Authority HMIS Form - A printout of the WelcomeHomeOC HMIS Enrollment screen which has been re-verified with the Head of Household at the time of move-in and uploaded to HMIS. This will allow OCHA to enroll the household with their most recent information.

To enter these documents into HMIS, please follow the steps below.

Navigate to the Files tab under the Head of Household's WelcomeHomeOC enrollment, then click on Add File.
Change the Category to WelcomeHomeOC, and select the type of document you would like to upload from the Name dropdown.
Click on Select File, and find the document in your computer files.
Select Add Record to upload the document to HMIS.

WelcomeHomeOC Exit Question

The WelcomeHomeOC exit question is answered on the Exit screen when a Head of Household is exited from the project. If you have questions about the exit process, please review the Exiting Clients from a Project article. Below is the question required for WelcomeHomeOC Heads of Household, as well as a description of the question.

Was the household placed in a WelcomeHomeOC unit? - The purpose of this question is to track whether a household exits to a unit in the WelcomeHomeOC project, or if the household exited to a location outside of the project.