Starting with the Global Visibility rollout, searching for clients in HMIS will look a little different. New client profiles created after the go-live date are unlocked by default, meaning they are visible across agencies. This change improves coordination and reduces duplicate data entry, but it also means you may see more results when searching.
Existing records keep their original visibility rules, so historical data does not retroactively share. Locked records (such as HOPWA and RHY enrollments) and clients who selected “Limited Sharing” or “No Sharing” remain excluded from global visibility.
Searching for Clients
Entering data in the HMIS for a client begins with searching for an existing record. This is an important step to ensure that all their data (assessment information, enrollments, services) are captured in one profile.
Duplicate client profiles can delay the process of connecting clients to housing and services.
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*If you encounter any duplicate records, please review this article for next steps: Client Merge Request
Client records can be found in the Clients module of the HMIS
The following article will highlight important search fields and best practices to ensure that profiles are unduplicated.
*As of the October 1st, 2025, the search window has been expanded as part of the 2026 HUD Data Standards update.
Name Field
- At the top of the Client Search page, is the Name field. Here you may enter the client's self-reported name. Since users may spell names differently or clients may provide alternate versions of their name, an important step to take is to try searching possible names.
- It may also be beneficial to ask if the client has provided alternate names in the past. For example, if client provides the name Tom Hanks, a few other acceptable searches might be:
- Tommy Hanks
- Tom Hank
- Tim Hank
- Tom Hanx
Other Known Data
- Including all other known data, ensures that the search is more specific and an exact match is found.
- This is the same data that populates in an existing record or will populate in the Client Profile, should a new record need to be created. See this article for guidelines on how to these questions should be answered: Client Profile
- The best data element that can be used to connect a record to a client is their Social Security Number, along with their Date of Birth and Sex.
Client ID Search
- In this box, you may enter up to 6 digits, if provided a Client ID.
- This number can be found at the top right corner of their profile, next to their name:
Search Results
- The final section is where Client Results of your search will populate.
- Here you can see how you are able to preview data they may have already in their record.
- Use this space to compare your client's to others' in the system
- Select the row with the data that best matches your client's
- Click the pencil icon to the left to view the whole record.
Why a Client Might Not Appear
Reason |
Explanation |
What to Do |
| Locked Record | Certain projects (HOPWA, RHY) remain locked by default and do not participate in global visibility. Manual locks may also be applied at profile creation per client preference. | Contact HMIS Helpdesk if visibility seems incorrect. |
| “No Sharing” Consent | Clients who select No Sharing on the ROI cannot have any HMIS record. Services must be tracked offline per agency privacy policy. | Do not create a profile. Track HUD UDE/PDE equivalents offline. |
| Incorrect Search Criteria | Misspellings, nicknames vs legal name, incomplete DOB, or wrong SSN can prevent matches. | Try alternate spellings, nicknames, and partial DOB (month/year). Use SSN if available. |