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+# LSA Sample Code Repository
+
+The Longitudinal System Analysis (LSA) is:
+* A report to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as 
+* A zip file containing 10 Comma-Separated Values (CSV) files 
+* Generated by a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) 
+* For Continuums of Care for the Homeless (CoCs) 
+* Submitted annually via HUD's Homelessness Data Exchange (HDX 2.0) 
+* Used to produce HUD's Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress and
+* Provides the data for Stella, HUD's strategy and analysis tool for CoCs, available on HDX 2.0.
+
+This repository is provided as a supplement to the [LSA Report Specifications](https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/5726/lsa-report-specifications-and-tools/) for the benefit of HMIS vendors. Its purpose is to provide a space for reconciling the LSA specifications to the HMIS Data Standards as required to maintain a compliant HMIS product. The LSA Report Specifications remain the central reference for vendors in regards to creating and maintaining LSA reporting.
+
+# Resources
+## Documentation
+The final versions of these documents are available on the [HUD Exchange](https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/5726/lsa-report-specifications-and-tools/). The documents here are working versions that change more frequently and prior to release on the HUD Exchange.  
+* LSA Programming Specifications (usually referred to as 'the specs') - a Word document with detailed business logic and step-by-step instructions for producing the LSA based on HMIS data. 
+* LSA Data Dictionary - an Excel file that lists file names, columns, and valid values for the 10 CSV files included in an LSA upload.
+
+## Code
+The sample code is SQL, and written in SQL Server. Originally, it was not intended for public release -- it was written concurrent with the first version of the specs (FY2018) as a check to make sure the specs were specific enough. It was released on GitHub as a reference.  
+
+# Dependencies
+In order to run the code as is, a user must have access to a SQL Server (or SQL Server Express) database with:
+* Permissions that allow creating and populating tables.  
+* HMIS data in tables modeled after HMIS CSV FY2022 v1.2.  Naming conventions for tables use an hmis_ prefix with the CSV file name -- e.g., hmis_Project.
+
+Specifically, the LSA sample code requires the tables listed below. Only records where DateDeleted is NULL are relevant.
+* hmis_Organization
+* hmis_Project
+* hmis_Funder
+* hmis_ProjectCoC
+* hmis_Inventory
+* hmis_Client
+* hmis_Enrollment
+* hmis_EnrollmentCoC
+* hmis_Exit
+* hmis_Services
+* hmis_HealthAndDV
+
+
+