HMIS Newsletter: March 2026

Table of Contents

• 2026 HIC / PIT
• Announcements
• April Feature Release
• Our Community
  
• Upcoming Events 
• Bitfocus is Hiring

2026 Housing Inventory and Point-in-Time Count

Reporting for the 2026 Housing Inventory (HIC) and Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is now live! This means we’re actively working with agencies and staff to finalize client and housing program data in HMIS so that we can report to HUD by the upcoming deadline.

This annual effort provides a vital snapshot of both sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness in our community.

If you have a housing program, please review the client and program information for the night of the PIT: 01/27/2026

• Client Information: To ensure our community provides HUD with the highest quality data, please verify that all relevant client records—including profile demographics, enrollment/exit dates, move-in dates, and housing services—are complete and up-to-date for the PIT count date.
• Program Information: For all housing projects, please confirm that project start/end dates, available beds and units, and voucher counts are accurate.

Helpful Reports for Preparing for the HIC/PIT: 

• [GNRL-106] Program Roster: This report outlines program stays and relevant inventory information, based on dates you include when you run the report. The report will include a list of all clients who were enrolled, exited, or remained active during the reporting period.
• [GNRL-220] Program Details Report: This report is a detailed review of all relevant profile, enrollment, exit, and housing service data in one place.
• [HSNG-108] Housing Census: This report provides bed occupancy rates by date, with the ability to drill down and see a client list for those dates.
• [HSNG-200] Current Housing Availability: This report summarizes (by housing project type, then program name) the amount of available bed and unit inventory on the night before the report is run. This is most helpful for ensuring your program configurations are accurate.

Thank you again for your diligence and commitment to data quality, which ensures the success and accuracy of our annual PIT Count. If you have any questions, please let us know by emailing us at napa@bitfocus.com.

Announcements

Annual HMIS Privacy & Security Training

To ensure our community continues to meet the highest security standards, we will soon transition to a new annual training requirement. In the coming months, every Napa HMIS user will be asked to complete a Privacy & Security Training once per calendar year. When the training window opens, you will receive an email with step-by-step instructions for accessing and completing the training.

 Our goal is to ensure a seamless experience for all users while keeping our participant data safe. To stay in line with our security protocols, accounts that haven't met the annual requirement will be temporarily inactivated after the deadline. We’re here to help you through the process, and if your account is inactivated, you can reach out to our Help Desk to assist in reactivating it as soon as your training is complete.

We appreciate your partnership in keeping our community’s data safe and look forward to sharing the official start date and training links with you very soon. If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to reach out to the Napa HMIS Help Desk at napa@bitfocus.com.  

Bitfocus Feature Release Article

In April, we’re releasing several updates to help your community get the most out of Clarity. Here are some of the key changes you should know about:

• New Interface: We’ve continued to roll out Coordinated Entry workflow functionality in Clarity’s modernized interface. In addition, users can now collect, anonymize, and report on client information more easily. Client forms and files have been improved at the program and client-level – allowing end users to search for file names, rather than scrolling through the screen. Files and forms have been split to ensure cleaner workflows. And the consent refused toggle has been added, making it easier to manage and de-identify clients efficiently.

Read the details: Check out the April 2026 Features article and webinar, under News and Announcements, for a deep dive into these changes.

Try it yourself: These updates will be available in your Training Site starting March 23, 2026 and available in your Live Site starting April 6, 2026. If you need help exploring them, reach out to your Bitfocus Administration team: napa@bitfocus.com.

In Our Community

HMIS Sharing Settings Update

You might notice some new activity in the HMIS! We’ve officially expanded our systemwide sharing settings to give you a clearer view of the vital work happening across the community. This isn't just about "more data"—it's about better care coordination. By seeing the full scope of services a participant is receiving, we can work together more effectively to provide the right support at the right time. Thank you for the incredible work you do every day!

Upcoming Events

Napa CoC General Meeting | April 2nd, 2026 at 2:30p-4p | Join here

Monthly CoC meeting run by Napa County on the first Thursday of every month. The CoC meeting is now hosted on Microsoft Teams instead of Zoom. Join us at the link above.

Bitfocus is Hiring

Join our Team!

• Visit bitfocus.com | Jobs | About Bitfocus

• Work with us at Bitfocus! Join a team committed to innovation, collaboration, and real-world impact in human services.  

Questions?

Your HMIS Administrators are happy to help.

Phone: 888-505-1832

Email: napa@bitfocus.com