2025 Data Summit
Thank you to everyone who attended the 2025 Data Summit, hosted by the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness! The theme of this year’s summit was Leveling Up Your Data.
The summit is now complete, and recordings are available both on this page and on the Whova event page.
List of Sessions
System Administrator Orientation
Monday, July 21st | 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Presented by Gerry Leslie
This session will be a standard orientation for System Administrators I or Local System Administrators in their local community. It will review standard System Admin responsibilities and practices, look at the HMIS Operating Policies and Procedures, and generally help HMIS System Administrators better understand the jobs they do and the responsibilities they have. This training is targeted at both new and experienced HMIS System Administrators looking to better understand what it is that they do.
This session was not recorded.
BusinessObjects Master Class: Bring Your Reporting Challenges
Monday, July 21st | 1:00 to 3:30 PM
Presented by Elizabeth Lockley, Data Analyst
Have a report that’s driving you nuts? A prompt that won’t behave? A cross-tab that just won’t cross right? Bring your real-world BusinessObjects questions to this informal, interactive session. Whether you’re stuck on a tricky filter, struggling with data alignment, or looking to optimize a recurring report, we’ll tackle problems together and share practical techniques. This is a space for HMIS data folks to learn from each other, explore common challenges, and walk away with useful tips — and maybe even a few copy-paste-ready formulas.
To help tailor the session, attendees will be invited to complete a brief pre-session survey with their specific questions or problem areas. If submitted questions aren’t sufficient to fill the time, the session will cover:
- A shallow dive into the Build for Zero Reporting Suite: how to access it, what to use it for (even if you’re not a BFZ community), and where to find supporting resources online.
- Troubleshooting common errors like “#CONTEXT” and “#MULTIVALUE”.
- Building summary dimensions such as exit destination groupings to produce nested ifs in a single dimension.
What’s Happening in the World of HMIS
Tuesday, July 22nd | 9:30 to 10:30 AM
Presented by Gerry Leslie
Join Gerry Leslie for a presentation on the current state of HMIS and some of the exciting developments that MCAH will be working on in the year ahead.
Sign Here: How to Digitize Your Documents for E-Signature
Tuesday, July 22nd | 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Presented by Hannah Quarry and Sara Platek
Join Hannah Quarry and Sara Platek with MCAH as we discuss the process of utilizing a digital platform for obtaining electronic signatures across our MSHMIS implementation to update MCAH agreements. In this session we will review the steps of this initiative and how your agency can utilize obtaining electronic signatures, whether by using it in service delivery to your clients or between agencies in your CoC as part of your sharing agreement.
Using the LPB Report to Monitor Sheltered/Unsheltered Homelessness and the By-Name List
Tuesday, July 22nd | 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Presented by Jayce Ashwill, Balance of State HMIS Liaison, HMIS Local System Admin (MI-510, MI-512)
A working session for Michigan Balance of State (BoS) communities to review, update, and discuss Local Planning Body By-Name List (CE Roster) = HMIS Sheltered Clients + Non-HMIS Sheltered Clients + Unsheltered Clients.
This session is meant for communities to learn from each other, receive technical assistance, and give feedback on how July’s LPB Quarterly Meeting discussions on this topic went. It is also meant for BoS Leadership to gain understanding from each LBP on where they are in their process of refining their BNLs and understanding the state of unsheltered homelessness across the Michigan Balance of State.
Due to a technical issue with the report demonstrated in this session, a recording is not available.
2026 HUD Data Standard CHanges
Tuesday, July 22nd | 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Presented by Candice Wiseman-Hacker, WellSky Senior Solution Architect/Manager, Industry Compliance
Join Candice Wiseman-Hacker from WellSky to learn about the new 2026 HMIS Data Standards that will go into effect October 1st, 2025.
Data Warehousing and Integration of MDHHS Services
Tuesday, July 22nd | 2:30 to 3:30 PM
Presented by Lynn Hendges, MDHHS Housing and Homeless Services Division Manager
Lynn Hendges and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services team will share some of the exciting developments happening within the Data Warehouse collaboration between the Michigan Statewide HMIS and MDHHS’s homelessness and healthcare integration partnership.
Connecting the Pieces: Training Tools
Tuesday, July 22nd | 2:30 to 3:30 PM
Presented by Tawana Dawkins, Cumberland County Community Development Data Analyst and HMIS System Administrator
This session will walk you through training tools created for a local HMIS implementation. Learn how to organize and implement tools designed to help end users and agencies and how to successfully deploy them.
Let’s Discuss the Current Scope of Federal and State Funding for Homeless Services
Wednesday, July 23rd | 9:30 to 10:30 AM
Presented by Eric Hufnagel, Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness CEO
This session provides an up-to-date overview of the current changes and potential changes to the federal initiatives that provide statewide homeless services and what MCAH is doing to advocate against this.
Gopher It! Small Actions Today, Big Impact Tomorrow
Wednesday, July 23rd | 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Presented by Kaity Hemgesberg and Hannah Quarry
This session will give examples of how to use local data to make an local impact about homelessness in your communities.
What Happens When the Floor Falls Out: With or Without a Software Change
Wednesday, July 23rd | 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Presented by Thurston Alexander-Smith
Is the grass greener on the other side? Could new HMIS software solve all your community’s problems? This session will lay out the narrative of a large, urban CoC’s spectacular explosion and rebirth over the course of three short years; the primary catalyst being a switch in HMIS software. We will show how the struggle over HMIS became a proxy for hidden structural problems in the lead agency. We will review the hidden costs (both human and fiscal) of switching software and how the CoC has come out the other side more unified and energized than ever…and releasing an RFP for software for the second time in four years.
An Overview of OP Analytics in the Data Warehouse
Wednesday, July 23rd | 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Presented by Poonam Benakatti, Green River Technical Project Manager, Grace Charles, Green River Director of Data, Danielle Robadey, Green River Partner Success Team Lead, and Kaity Hemgesberg
Join Green River and MCAH for an overview of the difference between Community Services canned reports and the Data Warehouse reports.
Muskegon County Assessment and Prioritization: Reform of the VI-SPDAT
Wednesday, July 23rd | 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Presented by Diolinda Sali, Muskegon County Homeless Continuum of Care Network HMIS Administrator
A summary of the process and ongoing work in the Muskegon County Continuum of Care to address racial equity and disparities within the VI-SPDAT assessment, guided by ARC4Justice through their Assessment and Prioritization Pilot. We aim to highlight how data, community voice, and intentional system change are coming together to create a more equitable homeless response system. We will share data found during our experiences so far, and what work we plan to continue to do.
Release of Information and How it Works in the HMIS
Wednesday, July 23rd | 2:30 to 3:30 PM
Presented by Gerry Leslie
Join Gerry Leslie for a review of the HMIS Release of Information. This session will look at the various components of the release and how to ensure you are compliant with the sharing protocol within your community.
Closing the Loop: Connecting Local Evaluation to Performance and Data Quality
Thursday, July 24th | 9:30 to 10:30 AM
Presented by Elizabeth Lockley, Data Analyst
Many CoCs rely on detailed spreadsheets—or even calculators and printed reports—to score projects during the annual Collaborative Application and Local Competition. These methods can work well, but they often involve repetitive setup, make it difficult to adapt to evolving scoring priorities and limit opportunities for early course correction.
This session introduces a reusable, standardized evaluation tool designed to simplify project scoring across a variety of project types, including Rapid Re-Housing, Permanent Supportive Housing, Emergency Shelter (families and singles separately), and Street Outreach. Using standard APR exports and the LSA export for bed and unit inventory, the tool generates structured Excel workbooks with consistent scoring logic, optional grant and funding inputs, and flexibility for local customization.
More importantly, the tool is fast and lightweight enough to support monthly or quarterly evaluation cycles. Frequent, low-effort check-ins allow communities to identify and address data entry issues earlier, improve communication with providers, and build toward stronger project performance over time—without increasing administrative burden.
Attendees will see how the tool works, walk through a sample output, and discuss opportunities to align local scoring practices with broader system performance goals. Where feasible, session participants may also receive a sample evaluation of their own CoC using their project data to take back for local review.
The Emergency Shelter Program: What Does the Data Tell Us So Far in FY25?
Thursday, July 24th | 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Presented by Emily O’Brien, The Salvation Army Data Analyst
This session will highlight data pertaining to the Emergency Shelter Program (ESP).
Automated By-Name Lists: Using the HMIS Data Warehouse Cohort Feature
Thursday, July 24th | 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Presented by Laura Lama, Winston-Salem/Forsyth CoC HMIS Project Manager, Jessy Burcaw, Winston-Salem/Forsyth CoC CES Committee Chair and Program Support Manager, Christiana Glenn Tugman, Northwest CoC (NC-516) Compliance and Planning, Tori Rodriguez, Northwest CoC (NC-516) BNL Manager, and Kaity Hemgesberg
This session will provide examples of how to use the Cohorts in the Data Warehouse to mainstream Coordinated Entry in your community.
Using Reports to Monitor Data Quality and Improve Program Performance
Thursday, July 24th | 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Presented by Jayce Ashwill, Balance of State HMIS Liaison, HMIS Local System Admin (MI-510, MI-512)
Do you feel like you are constantly fighting an uphill battle with data quality in your program? Would you like to feel like you understand the reports your agency is submitting to HUD and MSHDA? Do you want to be able to trust that you are making data-informed decisions while trying to improve program performance and the services you are providing to your clients?
This session will review how to utilize a monthly/quarterly schedule to stay on top of running reports to make data quality as efficient and accurate as possible at your agency. This session will also review how to use your CAPER/APR to drive project performance and draw connections to how System Performance Measures are impacted by your local project.
Data Collaborative: Using Tableau for Reporting
Thursday, July 24th | 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Presented by Gerry Leslie
Join Gerry Leslie for a demonstration on HUD’s System Performance visualization which lets you look at your CoC performance in comparison with other CoCs within your state and around the country. This tool is a powerful resource to help you better understand where you are in relation to peer communities throughout the nation.
Keeping Your Focus as a System Administrator and Agency Administrator
Thursday, July 24th | 2:30 to 3:30 PM
Presented by Lyn Raymond
To support local HMIS System Administrators, it’s important to ensure they have the resources and training needed to manage the system effectively and comply with HUD requirements. This includes providing access to training materials, support channels, and opportunities for collaboration with other administrators. Additionally, facilitating communication and feedback with MCAH and HUD can help address issues and improve the system.