Who is ICA?

Author: Betty | Date Created: July 29th, 2025 | Date Updated: July 30, 2025

ICA is the data team behind Minnesota’s homeless response system. They make sure the system works, the data is useful, and the people using HMIS feel supported.

ICA stands for the Institute for Community Alliances. It is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support communities with systems, information and data analysis that empowers decision-making to improve the quality of life, particularly with a focus on ending homelessness.

What does ICA do in Minnesota?

As HMIS Lead and State System Administrator, ICA manages the statewide data infrastructure. ICA's Minnesota team helps over 280 organizations use HMIS to record things like:

• How many people are in shelter and in need of housing
• What kind of help each person is getting
• Whether people are finding permanent housing

ICA supports communities

✅ System help and support

ICA manages the daily operations of HMIS and supports its users. If an agency has a problem or question, they can contact ICA for help.

📊 Training and learning

ICA teaches people how to use HMIS and understand the data. This helps agencies make data-driven decisions and improve their services.

📈 Reports and dashboards

ICA turns the data into simple charts and reports. This helps agencies and communities see what’s working, what’s not, and where help is needed most.

🏘️ Statewide statistics

Each year, ICA helps with two important nationwide efforts:

• The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, where agencies count how many people are homeless on one night.
• The Housing Inventory Count (HIC), where they count all the housing and shelter beds available.