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Assembly Bill (AB) 977: Homeless Program Data Reporting

Pursuant to Assembly Bill 977 (AB 977), the State of California requires grantees of specified state homelessness programs to enter specific data elements related to individuals and families served into their local Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

The additional and improved data made available by these reporting standards will create a more accurate account of the individuals served by the homelessness response system. These improvements will result in a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of state homelessness programs and allow for better-informed policy decisions.

What State Programs are Required to Comply?

AB 977 pertains to state homelessness programs. A state homelessness program is defined as a program that is “funded, in whole or in part, by the state with the express purpose of addressing or preventing homelessness or providing services to people experiencing homelessness.”

AB 977 requires HMIS data entry from two sets of programs: (1) ten programs specified by name in the statute; and (2) any state homelessness program that commenced on or after July 1, 2021. Below is a list of all programs currently required to comply with AB 977.

Programs specified in statute:

  • The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)
    • Homekey
    • The Housing for a Healthy California Program (HHC)
    • The No Place Like Home Program (NPLH)
    • The Multifamily Housing Program (MHP)
    • The Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Act of 2014 (VHHP)
    • The Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program (HHAP)
  • California Department of Social Services (DSS)
    • The Bringing Families Home Program (BFH)
    • The CalWORKS Housing Support Program (HSP)
    • The Housing and Disability Income Advocacy Program (HDAP)
  • California Community Colleges Chancellors Office (CCCCO)
    • The Community Colleges Homeless and Housing Insecure Pilot Program (HHIP)

State homelessness programs that commenced on or after July 1, 2021:

  • HCD
    • Encampment Resolution Funding Program (ERF)
    • Family Homelessness Challenge Grants (FHC)
  • California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet)
    • Veterans Support to Self-Reliance Pilot Program (VSSR)
  • California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)
    • Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH)

New Programs:

Cal ICH will offer technical assistance to any newly commencing state homelessness programs beyond the above list that must follow AB 977 requirements as identified. The following document provides information to assist departments and agencies in determining which new programs must comply with AB 977 as well as an overview of available technical assistance:

AB 977 Overview for New Programs

Departments who have additional programs that may be subject to AB 977 should reach out to HDIS@bcsh.ca.gov to discuss whether AB 977 requirements apply and initiate the technical assistance process if so.

Tribal Grantees:

In accordance with Cal ICH guidance, the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), the California Department of Social Services (DSS), and the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) are not requiring tribal grantees to comply with AB 977 at this time.


Technical Assistance Supporting AB 977 Compliance

AB 977 requires Cal ICH to provide technical assistance and guidance to specified state homelessness programs to support grantee compliance with data entry requirements. Generalized training resources for grantees and HMIS Leads are available on this webpage. For program-specific information and questions, grantees may contact their administering departments.

Cal ICH is required to specify the entry format and disclosure frequency of the required data elements. Cal ICH, in consultation with administering state agencies and departments, has developed project setup instructions to guide grantees to enter data into HMIS correctly. Departments have issued these instructions to their grantees via email and/or publishing on their websites; a list of links and contact emails is below:

Grantees with questions should reach out to the program contact addresses above.

HMIS Leads and state department or agency staff should contact Cal ICH at hdis@bcsh.ca.gov.

Technical Assistance Resources for Grantees and HMIS Leads:

Documents:

HMIS Project Setup Instructions for HMIS Leads (Updated May 2025) – This document provides a comprehensive list of funding codes and grant identifiers for the grantees of identified state programs.

AB 977 Frequently Asked Questions for HMIS Leads (Updated June 2025) – This document provides responses to frequently asked questions and is intended for HMIS Leads involved in the process of project setup and data entry into HMIS as identified in AB 977. Cal ICH recommends that grantees refer primarily to their department's FAQ document.


Recorded Trainings:

HMIS 101: Demystifying HMIS: This training hosted by Abt Global introduces grantees of California state homelessness programs to Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), a local information technology system used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families and persons at risk of homelessness. The training discussed the purpose of HMIS, what programs are required to use HMIS, and an overview of the data elements collected in HMIS.

Trauma-Informed and Equitable Data Collection: This webinar presented by Abt Global introduces grantees of California state homelessness programs to concepts related to trauma and its presentation, defines trauma-informed and equitable approaches, and applies this perspective to inform best practices in data collection for Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS). Download the slides for this webinar.

HMIS Data Quality: Best Practices: This webinar presented by Abt Global provides grantees of California state homelessness programs with an overview of Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data quality, the four components of HMIS data quality, and how to ensure that data entered into HMIS is high quality and reliable.