Department Resources

System Performance Measures

The System Performance Measures (SPMs), developed through the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act (HEARTH Act), allow communities to monitor progress toward the goal of preventing and ending homelessness. The measures provide a standardized summary and year-to-year comparison of system wide counts, averages, and medians related to seven areas of performance.

The data included in the System Performance Measure dashboard below is a based on the federal fiscal year (October 1 through September 30). The Office to Prevent and End Homelessness reports the System Performance Measure data to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) annually on behalf of the Continuum of Care (Fairfax County CoC, VA-601).

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More information about the System Performance Measures can be found in HUD’s System Performance Measures Introductory Guide. The metrics and client universe for each System Performance Measure can also be found below.

Desired Outcome

Reduction in the average and median length of time persons remain homeless

Metrics

Metric 1.1:

Change in the average and median length of time persons are homeless in Emergency Shelter and Safe Haven projects

Metric 1.2:

Change in the average and median length of time persons are homeless in Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, and Safe Haven projects

Client Universe

Persons . . .

in Emergency Shelter and Safe Haven project types
during the current reporting period

Persons . . .

in Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing, and Safe Haven project types
during the current reporting period

Desired Outcome

Reduction in the percent of persons who return to homelessness (measure looks at 6-12 month period)

Metrics

Metric 2a.1:

Returns to Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven, and Transitional Housing projects after exits to permanent housing destinations

Metric 2a.2:

Returns to Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven, and Transitional Housing, and Permanent Housing projects after exits to permanent housing destinations

Client Universe

Persons . . .

in Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven, and Transitional Housing, and Permanent Housing project types
who exited (i.e., system leavers) to permanent housing destinations
during the previous reporting period

Desired Outcome

Reduction in the percent of persons who return to homelessness (measure looks at 2 year period)

Metrics

Metric 2b.1:

Returns to Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven, and Transitional Housing projects after exits to permanent housing destinations

Metric 2b.2:

Returns to Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven, and Transitional Housing, and Permanent Housing projects after exits to permanent housing destinations

Client Universe

Persons . . .

in Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven, and Transitional Housing, and Permanent Housing project type
who exited (i.e., system leavers) to permanent housing destinations
during the fiscal year two years prior to the current reporting period (e.g., if the current reporting period is FY 2015 then look back to persons who exited to permanent housing destinations in FY 2013)

Desired Outcome

Reduction in the number of persons who are homeless

Metrics

Metric 3.1:

Change in PIT counts of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons

Metric 3.2:

Change in annual counts of sheltered homeless persons in HMIS

Client Universe

Persons . . .

counted as sheltered and unsheltered in the PIT count
conducted during the reporting period

Persons . . .

in Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven, and Transitional Housing project types
during the reporting period

Desired Outcome

Increase in the percent of adults who gain or increase employment or non-employment cash income over time

Metrics

Metric 4.1: Change in employment income during the reporting period for system stayers

Metric 4.2: Change in non- employment cash income during the reporting period for

system stayers

Metric 4.3: Change in total cash income during the reporting period for system stayers

Metric 4.4: Change in employment income from entry to exit for system leavers

Metric 4.5: Change in non- employment cash income from entry to exit for system leavers

Metric 4.6: Change in total cash income from entry to exit for system leavers

Client Universe

Adults . . .

in CoC Program-funded Safe Haven, Transitional Housing, Rapid Rehousing, and Permanent Supportive Housing project types
who have been in HMIS for at least a year and are still in the system at the end of the reporting period during the reporting period

Adults . . .

in CoC Program-funded Safe Haven, Transitional Housing, Rapid Rehousing, and Permanent Supportive Housing project types
who exited (i.e., system leavers) during the reporting period

Desired Outcome

Reduction in the number of persons who become homeless for the first time

Metric

Metric 5.1:

Change in the number of homeless persons in Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven, and Transitional Housing projects with no prior enrollments in HMIS

Metric 5.2:

Change in the number of persons in Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven, and Transitional Housing, and Permanent Housing projects with no prior enrollments in HMIS

Client Universe

Persons . . .

in Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven, and Transitional Housing project types
who entered during the current reporting period

Persons . . .

in Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven, and Transitional Housing, and Permanent Housing project types
who entered during the current reporting period

Only Continuum of Care (CoC) applicants that have exercised the authority and been approved by HUD to serve families with children and youth defined as homeless under other federal laws are required to complete Measures 6a, 6b, and 6c. Currently, there are no CoCs across the country reporting on this System Performance Measure.

System Performance Measure 7: Exits to Permanent Housing

Desired Outcome

Increase in the percent of persons who exit to an ES, SH, TH, or permanent housing destination

Metric

Metric 7a.1:

Change in placements to permanent housing destinations, temporary destinations (except for a place not meant for human habitation), and some institutional destinations

Client Universe

Persons . . .

in Street Outreach project types
who exited from Street Outreach
during the current reporting period

Desired Outcome

Increase in the percent of persons who exit to or retain permanent housing

Metrics

Metric 7b.1:

Change in exits to permanent housing destinations

Metric 7b.2:

Change in exit to or retention of permanent housing

Client Universe

Persons . . .

in Emergency Shelter, Safe Haven, Transitional Housing, and Rapid Rehousing, project types
who exited (i.e., system leavers)
during the current reporting period

Persons . . .

in all Permanent Housing project types except Rapid Rehousing
during the current reporting period

Office to Prevent and End Homelessness

Office to Prevent and End Homelessness Alert:

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System Performance Measures

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Office to Prevent and End Homelessness

Office to Prevent and End Homelessness Alert:

Department Resources

System Performance Measures

System Performance Measure 1: Length of Homelessness

System Performance Measure 2: Returns to Homelessness

System Performance Measure 3: Number of People Experiencing Homelessness

System Performance Measure 4: Employment and Income Growth for Homeless Persons in CoC Program-funded Projects

System Performance Measure 5: First Time Homeless

Measure 6: Homelessness Prevention

System Performance Measure 7: Exits to Permanent Housing

Recent Interactions

Ask Fairfax