Researchers, New Technology Provides Access to Data on Homelessness

Researchers from the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania want to help end homelessness through sharing critical data. Dennis Culhane and Tom Byrne , who also work with the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans , have been instrumental in creating Homelessness Analytics , an interactive Web-based application that provides users with access to national, state and local data about homelessness among veterans and the general population. Users can explore maps, create customized tables, generate charts and funnel data into spreadsheets or databases to conduct independent analysis. Other functions include modeling and forecasting features that allow users to simulate expected changes in homelessness given changes in underlying indicators at the community level. As an example, a user can create a model of the relationship between median rent costs and the rates of homelessness in a specific region to better understand how changes in the housing market could impact homelessness. Developed in collaboration with the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development , Homelessness Analytics has been in the works for more than a year. "This technology provides a new way to examine the problem of homelessness and is a terrific example of what can be achieved through collaborative efforts between academic and government partners," Culhane, a professor at the School of Social Policy & Practice and director of research at the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans , says.