REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 10, 2025
FROM
MARCUS DILLARD, Chief of Homeless Services, Office of Homeless Services
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contract with Bitfocus, Inc. for Homeless Management Information System Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 22-295 with Bitfocus, Inc. for Homeless Management Information System software services, increasing the contract amount by $508,786.75, from $768,550.00 to $1,277,336.75, to cover additional enterprise licenses, agency licenses, and software system enhancements, with no change to the contract term of May 1, 2022, through April 30, 2027.
(Presenter: Marcus Dillard, Chief of Homeless Services, 501-061)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not require the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The contract increase of $508,786.75 will be funded through the Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program (HHIP), ESG (Emergency Solutions Grant), HMIS (Homeless Management Information System), HHAP (Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program) and Planning grant. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Office of Homeless Services’ (OHS) 2024-25 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is a web-enabled database used by homeless services providers to collect client-level data, as well as data on the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families and on individuals at risk of homelessness. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) uses HMIS data to evaluate the success of the homeless agencies; it mandates that the homeless agencies it funds utilize an HMIS that has the necessary reporting capabilities. In its role as the administrative agent on behalf of the San Bernardino County Continuum of Care, OHS is responsible for complying with the HUD data collection, management, and reporting standards.
On April 26, 2022 (Item No. 23), as a result of a non-competitive procurement, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Contract No. 22-295 (Contract) with Bitfocus, Inc. (Bitfocus) for the use of Bitfocus, Inc.’s Clarity Human Services software (Clarity) as the San Bernardino County Continuum of Care’s HMIS. The Contract was approved in the amount of $768,550, for the period of May 1, 2022, through April 30, 2027, for HMIS software licensing, maintenance, and support services.
Clarity, the HMIS from Bitfocus, is the only one which uses Environmental Systems Research Institute’s (ESRI) ArcGIS platform to support homeless outreach. ArcGIS offers unique capabilities for applying location-based analytics using contextual tools to visualize and analyze data. It incorporates and analyzes geospatial data including mapping, applications and dashboard sharing to facilitate provider collaboration, as well as allow for greater engagement with clients while in the field. ArcGIS facilitates the use of data to build context and better understand trends and behaviors to properly gauge the needs of unhoused clients and those living within encampments.
The recommended Amendment No. 1 (Amendment) will allow OHS to expand its use of Clarity Human Services as the San Bernardino County Continuum of Care (CoC)’s HMIS. It includes the addition of 159 Enterprise licenses and 40 Agency licenses and data analysis user add-ons to accommodate increased usage. The addition of 159 Enterprise licenses and 40 Agency licenses is necessary to accommodate increased system usage across the CoC. These licenses ensure that all participating agencies - including outreach teams, shelter and housing providers, and service partners - have appropriate access to the HMIS platform to input, manage, and report data in alignment with HUD requirements. These licenses are used by various CoC agencies. As the lead agency and designated HMIS administrator for the CoC, the County’s Office of Homeless Services (OHS) is responsible for procuring and maintaining the system infrastructure, including licenses.
The Amendment also includes the implementation of a Customer Portal to enhance client access by allowing them to view and update their information, submit documentation, and track referrals, and a Bed and Unit Inventory module to support centralized tracking and real-time management of housing inventory across the system. The Customer Portal will cost $5,000 per year, totaling $10,000 for two years through April 30, 2027. These features are integrated into the existing Clarity Human Services platform and are designed to improve service coordination, resource visibility, and client outcomes. The Amendment to the Contract will increase the total amount by $508,786.75 for the additional licenses, user add-ons, and implementation of the Customer Portal and related modules, with no change to the contract term.
In doing so, the HMIS tool is meant to unite homeless assistance providers within a community and create a more coordinated and effective housing and service delivery system. The reliability and quality of HMIS data is important as HUD and other planners and policymakers at the federal, state and local levels use aggregate HMIS data to obtain better information about the extent and nature of homelessness over time. Since these tools are shared across a majority of the California continuums of care, the regional or local planning bodies that coordinate housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals, Clarity Human Services software will make it easier to collaborate with California continuum peers while joining both Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) and locally-defined (i.e., custom fields) client data into planning efforts.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Suzanne Bryant, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 10, 2025; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on May 7, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on May 7, 2025.