Everyone is Known
You Can’t Solve a Problem You Can’t See.
The journey home begins when every person experiencing homelessness is known by name, and their unique experiences, identities, and needs are understood. We replace biennial surveys and dozens of separate data systems with unified, shared, quality, timely By-Name Data, so communities can understand local homelessness dynamics and quickly match people to the right permanent housing and support.
By-Name Data
By-Name Data is an active system that sees everyone experiencing homelessness in a community in a timely manner, so they can quickly connect each person to the permanent housing and supports that meet their needs. This data provides critical information to local leaders on what is driving people into homelessness, what interventions are working, where improvements can be made, and whether they have the housing and recovery services to meet people’s needs.
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Full Community Coverage
Mobile outreach teams, emergency shelters, service providers, and community access points coordinate to add individuals to one centralized system and update information in real-time.
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One Shared Dataset
Powered by a local Homelessness Management Information System, each person who consents to be part of the system has one record that is shared across all service providers working to end homelessness in a community. This supports community collaboration to connect neighbours to the housing and supports they need, without forcing people to navigate fragmented services and re-tell their story each time.
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Actionable System Insights
Leaders use real-time data to measure active homelessness, inflow and move-ins, track homelessness reductions, and direct resources where they are needed most.
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Improving Privacy Protection
By-Name Data improves privacy protection by standardizing and streamlining community-level data collection, storage and use, ensuring consistent data and privacy protections compliant with relevant laws are in place across the community. Gone are the days where personal data about people experiencing homelessness are held by individual agencies, and privacy standards were not monitored or enforced. With Quality By-Name Data, clients own their data, provide signed consent for its use, and can withdraw and have their data deleted on request.
Quality By-Name Data Foundations
To ensure data accuracy and use results to improve local response, communities work toward CAEH Quality By-Name Data (QBND) standards. Built on the essential elements of the By-Name Data Scorecard 4.0, this benchmark confirms that a community has:
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An Appropriate Data System
A single Homelessness Management Information System and processes that respect privacy, data sharing, and trauma-informed consent
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Full Provider Participation
Key homeless-serving programs actively input timely information, including each person’s housing history and other data necessary to connect people to housing that meets their needs. Indigenous Partners are meaningfully engaged.
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Active Inflow & Outflow Tracking
Live tracking of flow into homelessness, housing move-ins, and inactive statuses, including accurate tracking of unsheltered homelessness.
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Targets for Progress
Communities set reduction targets and use QBND to track progress over time.
We can help you take the next step
We offer flexible levels of support because the next step looks different depending on local context and needs. Whether you’re looking for the foundational resources to build and sustain quality By-Name Data systems, training and skill building, or hands-on support and coaching, we can help.
Download the Quality By-Name Data 4.0 Guide (opens in a new tab)