BEDS Management System for Shelters

Coordinating emergency shelter capacity across a city is a life-critical operation — and doing it with manual processes or disconnected data is a risk no municipality should carry. Noventum developed a purpose-built shelter management system for the City of Albuquerque using Django, with real-time bed availability tracking across all facility types, automated daily synchronization from the city's ArcGIS data feed, Google Maps visualization, and an HMIS-based check-in system. The platform replaced manual coordination with centralized, reliable, city-wide visibility.

Client Background

The City of Albuquerque needs a centralized bed management system that could track real-time availability, manage check-ins, and automatically synchronize with city data sources. The key objectives included:

- Developing a Django-based web application for managing shelter beds and tracking occupancy
- Implementing real-time bed availability tracking by bed type (family, couples, male, female, youth, respite)
- Integrating automated daily updates from Albuquerque’s ArcGIS data feed
- Creating an interactive map interface for visualizing shelter locations and availability
- Building a check-in system using HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) IDs for tracking
- Supporting multiple shelter types including regular shelters and halfway houses
- Implementing filtering and search capabilities for finding available beds

Project Scope

- Django-based bed management system for tracking shelter capacity and occupancy in real-time
- Automated data synchronization with Albuquerque’s ArcGIS FeatureServer, updating shelter information daily without manual intervention
- Google Maps integration providing interactive visualization of shelter locations with real-time bed availability displayed on markers
- HMIS ID check-in system enabling shelter staff to log admissions while preventing duplicate check-ins per day
- Multi-bed type support tracking availability for family, couples, male, female, youth, and respite beds separately
- Google Places API integration for automated address geocoding and place information retrieval
- Scheduled task system using Django-Q for reliable daily data updates from city systems
- Filtering and search functionality allowing users to find shelters by location, bed type, and availability
- Multi-step wizard interface for creating and managing shelters with address autocomplete and validation
- Halfway house management supporting Oxford House-style facilities with vacancy tracking

Key Outcomes

- Real-time visibility* into shelter bed availability across the city, enabling faster placement of individuals in need
- Automated data synchronization eliminated manual data entry and ensured accuracy by pulling directly from city systems
- Improved operational efficiency with streamlined check-in processes and automated capacity calculations
- Enhanced coordination between multiple shelters through centralized bed availability tracking
- Geographic visualization helped staff and administrators quickly identify shelter locations and availability patterns
- Reduced administrative burden through automated updates and intuitive management interfaces

*The result is a robust, scalable platform that simplifies shelter bed management for the City of Albuquerque. The system now provides real-time visibility into shelter capacity, automates data synchronization with city systems, and enables efficient coordination of emergency shelter services across multiple facilities.

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Website Link

https://beds.noventum.us/residences/

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