This article explains how to configure INVENTORY Buildings, which are physical structures set up under INVENTORY Sites that represent real, physical buildings.
You can configure Buildings with Eligibility criteria, Funding Sources, custom fields, and photos.
Managing Buildings
To manage an agency's Buildings, ensure that you're in the correct agency, navigate to SITES > Housing Inventory, then click on the Edit icon next to the appropriate Site. Under Site Resources, select Buildings & Units.
Buildings are listed alphabetically by Building Name, but you can sort by Description and Status if desired by clicking those column headers.
To add a new building, click ADD NEW BUILDING. Complete the fields in the ADD A NEW BUILDING screen.
- In the Start Date field, you may enter a past, current, or future date. The system will display a pop-up warning in the following situations:
- If you attempt to enter a Start Date that is earlier than the Start Date for the associated Site.
- If you attempt to change the Start Date for an existing Building to a date that is later than the Start Date for any of the Building's Units or Unit Configuration Types.
- The Address drop-down allows you to select a "Default Site Address" or "New Address." This field is required. If you select "Default Site Address," the system will apply the address collected at the Site level to the Building. If you choose "New Address," you can record a unique address for the Building (this can later be changed back to the Default Site Address, if applicable).
- You can associate Eligibility criteria with a Building by turning on the Eligibility toggle. When this setting is enabled, the Eligibility section appears in the Building Resources sidebar.
Note: If Eligibility has been enabled at the Site level or inherited from a program or funding source, the Eligibility toggle will automatically be enabled and read-only.
- Enabling Automatic Offline Status means that the system automatically creates an Offline status for a Unit/Bed when a client exits. Refer to Automatic Offline Status for details.
- Custom Fields: System Administrators can add Housing Inventory Custom fields as appropriate, such as the Pets allowed field shown in the example above. If desired, a Housing Inventory Custom field can be designated as a Field Marker to enable data to cascade to the level below it (from a Site screen to a Building screen, for example).
Building Resources Sidebar
Selecting Buildings & Units from the Site Resources sidebar displays the BUILDINGS page with a list of Buildings that have been created for that Site. (If the Site is a Standalone Unit, this section won't appear.) Clicking the Edit icon next to a Building will display the Overview for that Building, along with the Building Resources sidebar, where you can make additional configurations.
Overview
Clicking Overview in the sidebar displays the MODIFY BUILDING screen. This screen contains the fields completed for the Building at creation, which you can modify at any time.
Programs & Projects
The Programs & Projects section of the sidebar displays any programs that have been assigned to a Building through the Building setup.
To assign a Program to a Building, click ADD NEW PROGRAM. The ADD PROGRAM pop-up appears.
- Users with Agency Inventory - Add Any Agency Program enabled will see both an Agency drop-down and a Program drop-down on the ADD PROGRAM pop-up when adding a Program to the Building.
- Users with Agency Inventory - Add Agency Program enabled but not Agency Inventory - Add Any Agency Program will not see the Agency drop-down because they will only have access to associate a Program from their own agency.
You will not be able to delete any programs that are listed as either a Current or Upcoming Unit Configuration Type of a Unit setup.
Note: If you assign a program at the Building level, the Unit Configuration Type will inherit the program, and the ability to add a program to the Unit Configuration Type will become unavailable. If more than one program operates within the Building, do not set up the program at the Building level; instead, set up the program at the Unit Configuration Type level. You can only assign one program at a time to a Unit Configuration Type.
Funding Sources
Note: All reports (including federal reports) related to INVENTORY will pull Funding Source information from the program level. Therefore, Funding Sources will need to be attached at the program level in order to be included in those reports. Funding Sources attached at the Building level will not be pulled into reports.
To view or add Funding Sources for a Building, click the Funding Sources section of the sidebar. In the SITE FUNDING section, you will see any funding sources inherited from the Site level. In the PROGRAM FUNDING section, you will see any active funding sources inherited from a program assignment.
To associate a Funding Source with the Building, click ADD FUNDING SOURCE. The ADD FUNDING SOURCE window will display funding sources created from the Funding tab. Toggle on the desired Funding Sources, then click ADD.
Note: Funding inherits from the Building to lower levels. If funding differs from Unit to Unit, don't add funding at the Building level. Instead, add funding as needed within Unit Configuration Type or Unit Management.
You will receive a warning if you add a funding source at the Building level that has already been assigned at the parent level.
Unit Configuration Type
Unit Configuration Type allows for the collection of Bed and Unit inventory aligning with the HMIS Data Dictionary 2.07 Bed and Unit Information.
Units
Units allows you to add, view, and manage Units. Within this section, you can also assign Unit Configuration Types to the Unit. When creating a new Unit, you also have the option of creating a new Unit Configuration Type.
Eligibility
To associate Eligibility criteria with a Building, click Eligibility in the sidebar, then click ADD REQUIREMENT. Refer to our INVENTORY Overview article for additional information on configuring eligibility criteria.
The system will display the following pop-up warning whenever an eligibility criterion is added or edited: "Please note that modifying eligibility may impact clients already associated with this [site/building/funding source/program/etc] eligibility setting. Please confirm."
The INHERITED ELIGIBILITY section displays any eligibility criteria inherited from the Site setup or from programs or funding sources.
You can hover the mouse over the information icon on an inherited funding source to display a tooltip showing the source(s) of inherited eligibility criteria. The listing will also include any eligibility inherited from assigned sub-grants.
Note: If you click SAVE CHANGES on the MODIFY BUILDING or ELIGIBILITY pages without making any changes, the system will not display the green "Changes successfully saved" banner, update last_updated and ref_user_updated, or track the action in the Audit Log.
Navigation Path
You may click the link near the top of the Building Resources sidebar to return to the Site level.
Deleting Buildings
To delete a Building, click the trash can icon next to the Building name on the BUILDINGS page.
Note: You cannot delete a Building if any Units have been created for the Building, or if the Building is connected to any client data.
Audit Logs
Users with the appropriate permission can click the Audit Log button to view changes made to the Building.
Updated: 01/25/2024