Co-authored by Lina Choe, Housing and Community Development Intern at the National League of Cities
By harnessing improved data collection, cities can more effectively reach homeless residents and deliver essential social services and housing. The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness underscores the importance of disaggregating demographic data to inform strategic decision-making and combat homelessness effectively.
For example, in response to the 2023 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count’s report of an increase in family homelessness, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $10 million between 13 public housing authorities. This funding supported more than 600 housing choice vouchers, safeguarding families and promoting housing instability including 625 Family Unification vouchers.
Disaggregating Homelessness Data for Effective Interventions
Along with the PIT Count data, cities can use HUD’s Race and Equity Tool to gain a more holistic understanding of who experiences homelessness within their community. This tool compares the PIT Count information to the general community’s population, using data from the American Community Survey, to highlight any disparities between the general demographics of the city and the population of people experiencing homelessness. By providing a more detailed analysis, this information allows cities to better target populations that are more likely to experience homelessness within their community.
Cities can go further to document who is experiencing homelessness within their community by creating continuous up-to-date lists of who is experiencing homelessness, or a by-name list.
A by-name list is a record of every individual that is experiencing homelessness within a community, including their name, their history with homelessness, health and housing needs.
This list enables cities to keep track of all residents experiencing homelessness and to understand each resident’s circumstances as they work to connect residents to housing. The by-name list should be updated at least monthly to provide the most accurate information possible for cities. By continually updating the by-name list, it provides a more accurate count of people experiencing homelessness within a community in comparison to the PIT Count which only counts people experiencing homelessness one night in January (the PIT Count is also widely considered to be a severe undercount of the homeless population). Also, the by-name list allows cities to notice trends within the homeless community and evaluate which outreach programs are most effective within their community.
How Cities are Using Data to Improve Homelessness Systems and Services
Across the country, cities are working to improve their data collection methods to provide improved homeless social services and targeted outreach to those who are experiencing homelessness.
Lawrence, Kansas
The City of Lawrence collaborated with Douglas County, the Lawrence Community Shelter and other service providers to conduct their 2024 PIT Count in January 2024. During last year’s data collection, the city identified 212 chronically homeless individuals. Since the 2024 PIT Count, the city has formed a new Homeless Response Team dedicated to helping individuals facing chronic homelessness. The team is working to form deeper relationships with identified individuals so they can connect them with resources specific to their needs and circumstances. In response to PIT data, the city also opened a new community of emergency shelter cabins called The Village.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
The Lancaster County Homelessness Coalition in conjunction with the City of Lancaster conducts the county’s annual PIT report. The coalition updated its methodology from 2023 to collect more representative data. Previously, only individuals who were interviewed by a PIT Count team member were counted. In the updated methodology, PIT Count volunteers included individuals observed to be sleeping outside and those living in emergency shelters and transitional housing. The coalition also partnered with Lancaster General Hospital to interview individuals released from the emergency department.
Like the national rates, the January 2023 to 2024 PIT data for Lancaster indicates a 13.5 percent increase. However, the county states this sharp increase is due to more accurate surveying methods. The coalition cited the PIT count to highlight the need for increased affordable housing and a livable wage.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis built a comprehensive by-name list of all single adults experiencing chronic homelessness. This list, which is updated in real-time, includes a file for each individual, including name, homeless history, health and housing needs. The city uses this data to track the size and composition of its homeless population, which helps the city make data-driven decisions.
With this data, St. Louis released a new strategic plan aligning with Housing First. The city wants to ensure that every person has access to a safe and healthy place to sleep as well as additional services like mental health support and medical care.
Learn More
National League of Cities’ Ending Homelessness: A Guide for Local Governments provides an overview of the homelessness crisis facing U.S. communities, why it’s happening and how cities can work with partners to shape solutions.
About the Author
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