Mulling over George Pope to Steve Asher 22 Aug 2003

Hi George!

 SA> Feds Want to Track the Homeless

 SA> By Julia Scheeres

 GP> Writing for who?

Wired News.

 GP> So much for my next plan -- going homeless to have privacy 
 GP> (of course, I'll be fine so long as I don't go after any
 GP> federally-funded aid, eh?) :|

Which would include any "faith-based initiatives" (in the USA)
that use federal funds. I go to a support group here which
provides free / cheap lunches, transport to appointments etc,
but the transport is now restricted to "registered clients",
& as I am not the type to register as a client, I don't use
the transport service.

There is a better article on Homeless Tracking at EPIC, which
I will put below.....

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[4] EPIC Releases Fact Sheet on Homeless Tracking Systems
================================================================

EPIC has published a fact sheet on Homeless Management Information 
Systems (HMIS) (see EPIC Alert 10.16).  HMIS are database systems 
that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is 
requiring shelters to maintain. Under the proposed guidelines, federally 
funded shelters and other care organizations will be required to collect 
unique identifiers, as well as physical and mental health information on 
each benefits recipient. There are specific provisions that require the 
collection of HIV and pregnancy status.  

Homeless tracking presents a number of privacy and civil liberties 
concerns. First, HMIS lays the infrastructure for a nationwide system 
of homeless tracking. The proposed guidelines mandate consistency in 
data collection, and the ability to export all data in the system to a 
common format.  This raises substantial risks for those living with HIV, 
physical or mental health disabilities, or others who have conditions that 
potentially subject them to stigma or discrimination.  

Second, government access to the database is nearly unlimited.  Under 
the proposed guidelines, system users can disclose information from 
the database to Secret Service or agents of a national security agency 
without any showing of an emergency, a court order, or even a risk of 
attack. Law enforcement access is more limited, but nevertheless, 
HUD is not requiring police to obtain warrants or court orders before 
releasing HMIS data.  

Third, HMIS places victims of domestic violence at heightened risk of 
harm. Many victims flee violent partners by staying in shelters, and 
HMIS may provide opportunities for malicious actors to locate their 
victims.  

The EPIC fact sheet argues that HUD should seek less invasive 
alternatives to evaluate the effectiveness of benefits and support for 
the poor. For instance, HUD could perform a census on a specific day 
to obtain an unduplicated count of the homeless staying in particular 
shelters. Such a census would not require the collection of personal 
identifiers or tracking over time, and would be less expensive.  

The public can comment on HMIS until September 22, 2003 by mail to 
HUD. No provision for electronic or fax submissions has been arranged. 

Comments should be addressed to:  

Michael Roanhouse
Re: Doc. No. FR 4848-N-01 / HMIS Data
Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development
Room 7262  HUD
451 7th St. SW
Washington, DC 20410

EPIC's Homeless Tracking Fact Sheet is available at:

      http://www.epic.org/privacy/poverty/hmisfactsheet.pdf

HUD's proposed HMIS Guidelines are available at:

      http://www.epic.org/privacy/poverty/hmis.pdf

More information about privacy and the homeless is available at:

      http://www.epic.org/privacy/poverty/

===============================================================

Cheers, Steve..

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