About Us
About ACRE Consulting
In 2015, the City of Kingston became the first community in Canada to begin using the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) version 4. Ali Ryder was a key player in the HIFIS 4 launch in Kingston, with responsibilities including system design, technical configuration, training of end users, policy development, and the creation of reporting templates.
After launch, so many communities from across Canada were interested in learning from Kingston’s experience that ACRE Consulting was formed, a small firm specializing in helping communities to get the most out of HIFIS 4.
Within only six months, ACRE Consulting was already managing HIFIS 4 implementation for four communities. Today, ACRE Consulting is a nationally-recognized expert in the field and works not only at a community level, but also is a coach for the national Built for Zero Canada campaign and a member of the federal HIFIS 4 Working Group.
Our Team
Ali Ryder
BAH, MES, RPP, MCIP
Ali is Canada’s – nay, the world’s – leading expert on HIFIS 4. She is the owner, operator, and sole proprietor of ACRE Consulting, formed in 2016 to help communities understand and better make use of HIFIS 4.
She holds a Master’s degree in social planning and a background in political studies. She has expertise in system design and system mapping, plan development, stakeholder engagement, homelessness enumeration, program and outcome evaluations, as well as research and policy development. Ali is also proficient with many computer systems, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), reporting software such as SAP Crystal Reports and Microsoft Power BI, design software such as Adobe Creative Suite, and dabbles in web design.
"Thank you, Ali, for existing!"
Tracy Verhoeve,
Region of Waterloo
"Ali ACTUALLY knows all the answers!"
Chris Gorman,
Saint John Human Development Council
"Ali is a HIFIS goddess!"
Valerie Watson,
County of Simcoe
Our Clients
We've worked with over three dozen communities in nearly every province and territory in Canada.
"The City of Peterborough Social Services Division launched the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS 4) in April of 2017 with the support and guidance of ACRE Consulting.
Ali was a pivotal member of the implementation team in the year leading up to the launch, as she guided the team through challenging decision-making processes. She travelled often to our community for meetings, group training and even one-on-one sessions. She was able to articulate the usage of features, the impact of customizations and how to successfully manage system changes.
In the year and a half since our implementation, Peterborough has continued to benefit from the resources provided by ACRE Consulting. Training manuals, user guides and most significantly: reports. Ali has created numerous custom reports that assist us in meeting our reporting requirements, making them invaluable.
ACRE Consulting helps inform the HIFIS community with weekly newsletters and informative articles available on the website. Despite the completion of Peterborough’s contract, Ali remains a constant source of support and advice."
Erin Forrest,
City of Peterborough
"You're the most help I've gotten [about HIFIS] since the dawn of time!"
Cole Kaiswatum, YMCA Regina