Solving Homelessness - Data Driven Approach

HUD needs to step up: establish comprehensive data collection standards, require service providers to track more detailed metrics, define program success clearly, and mandate open-source data access. These changes would enable stakeholders to identify and replicate effective strategies, ultimately driving real progress toward ending homelessness.

Addressing homelessness may seem straightforward, but in practice, it’s incredibly complex. I worked for a non-profit in San Diego dedicated to ensuring taxpayer money was spent effectively. One of our major initiatives was tackling homelessness. We organized extensive meetings with public and private funders, service providers, and philanthropists to establish universal standards for evaluating program effectiveness. These standards were crucial for making apples-to-apples comparisons, enabling funding to be directed toward programs that truly worked.

But defining what an “effective program” means isn’t simple. Different stakeholders have different metrics: one might prioritize outcome X, while another values outcome Y. As a result, funding is often spread across programs without clear evidence of effectiveness. Our goal was to shift this focus toward outcome A: a standardized definition of success.

It was a noble effort. We gained unanimous agreement on seven regional standards. Yet progress was stymied by bureaucracy and semantics. A prime example: the Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH). Despite early cooperation, RTFH executives later refused to release critical data we needed to assess program effectiveness. Even more troubling, we were forced to destroy data we previously had after securing just one of the seven standards.

Here’s the problem: most funding for homelessness services comes from federal grants, often through HUD. But HUD lacks robust data collection protocols, clear definitions of success, and mandates for open-access data. Without these, it’s nearly impossible to evaluate programs or compare their outcomes. Studies on homelessness are rare, not because of a lack of interest, but because the data is inaccessible, poorly managed, or buried in unreadable formats like PDFs.

The result? Policies and solutions are often based on subjective observations rather than concrete evidence. Without reliable data, we can’t identify what truly reduces homelessness, let alone scale or optimize those solutions. The fact that we’re entering 2025 and haven’t solved this issue is shameful for a country like the United States.

Again…
HUD needs to step up: establish comprehensive data collection standards, require service providers to track more detailed metrics, define program success clearly, and mandate open-source data access. These changes would enable stakeholders to identify and replicate effective strategies, ultimately driving real progress toward ending homelessness.

3 Likes

The problem in California homelessness isn’t because of what you stated. It’s because California gives homeless people drug kits, allows drug use, and supplies homeless people with alcohol.

1 Like

Sure that is a fair point and I agree that this is not the right way to address the problem. But they still do it, which leaves me to wonder why they do it. Is it because it is easier to give them these things or do they believe that it will actually solve the issue? I would like to think that it is the latter, from the people that I have met in the field, they care and they want to end peoples homelessness. So maybe it is a top-down initiative from people who are not even in the field.

Emotions and opinions removed, ask yourself this question: why are they giving people drug kits and allowing for them to continue to use substances?
Because they think that it will help solve the issue.

But now if you have the data to show, you can show that program XYZ does not give drugs and alcohol, and program XYZ ends someone’s homelessness much faster and cheaper.

Without data to show a better solution, people will resort to what they think is the best solution. Let the data speak for itself

California does give out alcohol and drug kits. Do a quick google search and you’ll find it.

Yes, I am aware of that. Not claiming that they do not do that. Highlighting that if we use data to show that it is an ineffective solution, it provides an overwhelming reason to stop doing it.

Hello everyone, My name is Jessie, However I would like to be addressed as “Anumii” It means a new me. Growing up in South Central, seeing the exploitation of the homeless with the funds that have been provided, I was appalled. After coming through the emancipation program, being on the streets as a teenage prostitute for 19 years of my life, the pain I endure it was overwhelming as well as so many others. What do you do when you’ve had a broken family but you have a vision because the street life gave you a vision. I have a plan and a curriculum to end at least 75% of the homeless situation we see across the board. I’ve done it on a small scale and it works. The problem is I don’t think certain people want to work I think the money that’s being allotted is a free-for-all so to speak, how is it that the billions of dollars that have been given for the homeless made no difference? I’m a ex hooker come on, I’ve taken in hookers when I was one, we all paid three dollars apiece in the nicest rooms ever. This is ridiculous! God will use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. I would like a platform to pitch my vision, because without a vision for the people they will continue to perish. However I’m not inclined to pitch my vision here, for someone else to take it in run with it but not have the heart for it, they may have the intent but not the extent !
The first family I took in was a family at 10 in Stockton California, I was 19 years old with my first child.

The compassion I felt to help this family has never left me, and I know that it wasn’t for me it was from God. The only way to do this right, is to do it the right way, are we not all children of God, therefore why do we keep excluding the righteousness of his word, for missions to go forward. I’m not talking about religion, I’m talking about down to earth, common sense love care and concern for people and for your community. Having the moral principles of the word of God, is the only way that a village can raise a community.

I can tell you this, my vision includes the deduction of gang banging in each community, it includes, a recycling of community wealth, it includes prisoners who are coming out of prisons and jail, to make for them a better life with no crime, it includes a place for the youth and young adults Who are at risk, it includes a safe community in town for tourist to visit without fear. For the record, for those who still believe in God, the one who said let there be like, who spoke and it was, that same God spoke to me, woke me up and told me this whole entire vision, so I take no credit for it, but I’m willing to die to fight for it!

Since I was 19 years old have not stopped taking in people, whether I was living in a motel room, or in an apartment on drug somewhere, I’ve always had compassion, towards those who were less fortunate. I have not had my own home, and a stable environment For years I have lived here and there, with people or boyfriends, I’ve had two apartments, of my own, that was some 30 years ago. I am 59 years old now and want to live the rest of my life, working towards this vision, If our United States of America would really unite we could see how much of an asset the homeless really are, instead of making them a commodity! I have no high school education, God has taught me everything, I know with experience, and the word of God. So I can boast of nothing, I’m here to serve. Someone hacked my entire life four years ago, unfortunately that person died. Because of it I almost lost my mind, every computer I owned this person took it over remotely, my vision was in the computer, I was unable to contact Microsoft or anyone, and I believe, that someone put my name on the dark web, however the dark web or the bright web or the spider’s Web, I am free because of Jesus Christ, and I will not stop, Just recently I have been able to get back online, and continue where I left off I started a clothing line, called Anumii, it was an epiphany! One day after being off the streets for two years, I said I’m a new me, and it hit me, I am a new me, with a new life and a new chance, and I want to see others have that, I believe in the homeless people, they are my brothers and my sisters, with visions and stories to tell books to write movies to make. I don’t believe that anyone can do my vision, and it work unless they have the love of God to do it In fact I don’t have to do the vision, but the vision needs to be done and it’s bigger than me, again you have to have the extent not just the intent, you have to have the compassion and love and endurance to understand, these particular people and know that they are very precious to God, he talks about them in the word of God, And without the children of God that would be no reason for a church, I believe the Religious church that have exploited our communities need to give that money to the God visionaries of their community. I’d be interested in suing them all! And until we understand,

That this is not just about homeless people this is about the children of the living God, this is one nation under God, where do we lose our vision, well it doesn’t matter anymore does it, because God has given a vision to me and many others, whose visions together monopolize the homeless Market, and it’s sad that it is a market. My plan includes community wealth, and inclusion, when I say inclusion I mean inclusion to all who want to make a difference building the old waste places in their communities, I am in no way promoting anything other than individuals that want to work and rebuild.

I have and over 50 people in my life, sometimes five at a time seven at a time, back in the day Ricky Lake asked me to put together a show for her, I did that and the show was canceled, I brought five people to my home from Hollywood, and there was no way I was gonna put them back out, so we went around selling my T-shirts, we had a good time however I was not equipped to take care of all those kids with all of their issues, but I have a plan and I have a vision. In my vision and plan there are certain things that remove certain issues, and they are no longer the narrative that kept him homeless.

Again, I have lived on the streets most of my life, I finally got a section 8 apartment, but eventually my plan is to get off a section 8 off of SSI, and make my dream come true and that is rebuilding Los Angeles, the city that I love the people that I love, I believe that People who have lived in the trenches, struggling to make ends meet, have plenty of ideas, looking from the ground up. I can definitely speak for my vision it does work, but it’s bigger than me!

if anyone is interested in me pitching the vision that I have, let’s do it, right now I have a ministry called church outside the wall where we go out and we not only feed the homeless but we spend the day with them loving them and encouraging them reminding them what family love and warmth is all about.

I would love to help with this issue I live it breathe it think it every day of my life! Vote for me, I am the woman for the job, I may need some polishing around the edges, and that’s OK, my timeline speaks for who I am!