The Longitudinal System Analysis, better known as the LSA, is finally done, and was submitted to HUD on January 16, 2026! We would like to extend our sincere thanks for your hard work on the data cleanup. We truly appreciate the time and effort you’ve dedicated to this process and for your prompt responses throughout.
As a recap, the LSA is an annual report produced by Continuum of Care’s (CoC) Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and provides HUD and the CoC with critical information about how people experiencing homelessness use their system of care. The LSA is essentially a massive export of information and includes:
The LSA also provides information about patterns of system use prior to exit, destination types, and, for those who were served again later by continuum projects, lengths of time between exit and re-engagement or returns to homelessness.
Thank you again for helping us ensure this year’s LSA submission was successful!
The 2026 Annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Count is a one-night snapshot of people experiencing homelessness. This year, King County conducted a
sheltered count on the night of January 29, 2026 across Emergency Shelter, Transitional Housing and Safe Haven project types. King County also conducted an unsheltered count in the early morning hours of January 30, 2026. Alongside the sheltered PIT count, we will conduct the Housing Inventory Count (HIC). This report provides HUD with a comprehensive look at available beds and the total number of clients served across these program types. Learn more about the Unsheltered PIT count HERE.
The HIC includes all programs, regardless of whether they use HMIS. To ensure our community’s data is complete:
What HMIS information should be reviewed?
Helpful Reports for Preparing for the HIC/PIT:
Thank you 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 kcsupport@bitfocus.com.
In February, 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:
See it in action: Join our Feature Focus on February 5th at 10am PT.
Read the details: Check out the February 2026 Features article for a deep dive into these changes.
Try it yourself: These updates will be available in your Training Site starting January 27, 2026. If you need help exploring them, reach out to your Bitfocus Administration team: kcsupport@bitfocus.com.
Users must attend an ACT training before they gain assessors access in the HMIS.
The Monthly Assessor Credential Training is hosted virtually every month. Come prepared to participate in a Coordinated Entry Assessor Onboarding Training that will cover an overview of the system, housing types, service match, documentation, and nomination process, followed by an HMIS demo on your basic assessor workflow.
| Melissa Nicholson | Lauryn Searles |
| Team Manager | Deputy Project Administrator |