PIT/HIC

The Point In Time count occurred on January 29th, 2025. We want to extend a big thank you to everyone across the state who conducted surveys, entered data, coordinated volunteers, and handled all the tasks in between.

HUD has not yet opened their repository nor set an official deadline for the Point in Time or Housing Inventory count, this Is due to all of the unknowns at the federal level.

The HMIS team has completed our standard data-cleaning and validation process for all PIT/HIC data up to the point of uploading to HDX 2.0. which is HUD’s repository. HDX 2.0 has additional built-in tools that upon uploading our data, complete more sophisticated checks than what we at ICA are able to duplicate. With the lack of having this critical tool at our disposal we have added in some additional internal data-checking processes this year.

However, until we are able to upload data into the repository itself, all numbers we have will remain preliminary as we are lacking this final crucial step in the data checking process. The HMIS team is eager to conclude this process and to be able to distribute final numbers. We appreciate everyone's patience during this uncertain time as we await the anticipated submission deadline from HUD.

April Q & A 

ICA Staff- (Kyndra Lobdell, Susie McCarragher & Kasper Kittredge)

PIT Updates/Reminders - Final Unsheltered Number, No announcements from HUD – no official federal deadline for PIT 1:16
SPMs Update- Susie 6:55
Training Fun –
- Street Outreach Report -8:2
- Monitor Report Overview (Kyndra and Susie)

Anything you would like added in the next Q & A send to support@icalliances.org

New User Training Process

Training Expectations & Objectives

HMIS data input is not your average data entry. It has a few very different aspects that make it much more challenging than one would expect. This new user training has between 6 to 8 hours of videos, multiple documents to review, and quizzes.

The student is expected to learn how to properly input and update client data in our HMIS so that they will later be able to report to funders, HUD, in the multitude and ever-changing ways that they require it. Final testing involves the students inputting practice clients into a mock Servicepoint system.

To complete this training, The student will need:

A computer
Internet Access
6 to 8 hours to get through the material
A week or two to successfully complete their test cases
Training Accounts are recycled after 30 days unless the student has asked for more time
Remember, though the class is self-paced, humans on our training team need time to check students work and respond. This can take 3 business days.
User Agreement Paperwork must also be completed to finish
Questions should go to service@icalliances.org
To get started complete the appropriate form below:
For HMIS training please complete this training request form
For DVIMS training please complete this training request form

How does training work?

HMIS Form

DVIMS Form

In-Person Training

The ICA Training Team is excited to announce the continuation of optional in-person HMIS New-User training. This is to fulfill the need for users who will benefit from learning the system with a more hands-on approach, while still using the online training videos as additional tools. Below are the current dates we have set up along with the locations in which the trainings are taking place. If you are the person at your agency that requests new user trainings, and think that you have staff that would benefit from an in-person training experience, please fill out the form below.

Please note that online training is still available as an option if this does not fit your staff’s needs. If it is decided that in-person training is the best option, each student only need to attend one session. Each attendee will need their own laptop. The classes fill up at 10 attendees each.

If we do not have at least 3 students signed up for an in-person class 48 hours before the class, the class will be canceled.

Current In Person Trainings:

Polk County Classes- The 2nd Thursday of every month in Des Moines

May 8th
June 12th

Balance of State Classes- The 3rd Thursday of every month in Iowa City

May 15th
June 19th

In-person Training Request Form - Formstack

Training Calendar

The training calendar is back! You can find it here but also in the Iowa section of the ICA website - ICA Alliance.org/Iowa

Q&A Library

All of ICA’s past Q&A webinars are available in our Q&A Library on ICATraining.org.
Here is the link: **Q&A Library**

Monthly Data Update

ICA publishes a monthly data update describing the key indicators and changes in the population experiencing housing instability in the Balance of State and Polk County. We share this information monthly, and hope this presentation is easy to understand for members of your community who don’t necessarily live in the data the way HMIS professionals and service providers do but are interested and motivated to learn.