The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is pleased to present this national report on homelessness in America. The report was developed in response to Congressional directives that began in 2001 and charged the Department with assisting communities to implement local Homeless Management Information Systems or HMIS. The primary goals in promoting local HMIS implementation are to improve the delivery of services to homeless clients and to increase understanding of their characteristics and needs at the local and national levels. According to Senate Report 109-109, "The implementation of this new system would allow the Department to obtain meaningful data on the nation’s homeless population and develop annual reports through an Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR).