The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) released on November 30 From Evidence to Action, the first federal homelessness research agenda in more than a decade. The agenda, which will evolve over time, will shape federal investments in homelessness research and provide a roadmap for researchers, students, philanthropy organizations, and others seeking to understand how to effectively prevent and end homelessness in the U.S. USICH developed the research agenda with public input from researchers, experts from federal agencies, people with lived experience, and national organizations.
From Evidence to Action aims to expand our collective knowledge of ways to prevent and end homelessness through rigorous qualitative and quantitative evidence and reinforce existing evidence to combat disinformation. Through the research agenda, USICH seeks to align research priorities and break down siloes at the federal, state, and local levels; promote research to address policy and practice gaps; encourage decision-makers and service providers to implement evidence-based practices; and spur governmental and philanthropic investment in homelessness research.
The research agenda is centered on two key issues: homelessness prevention and ending homelessness. Under homelessness prevention, the agenda identifies research priorities concerning universal prevention, such as how to expand the Housing Choice Voucher program to serve all households at risk of homelessness and the feasibility of a federal renter tax credit, among others; targeted prevention strategies, including homelessness prevention strategies that target youth, older adults, people who identify as LGBTQ+, people of color, and other marginalized groups; diversion strategies; practices for screening and identifying risks for homelessness; and issues related to cost and scale.
The agenda also identifies priority research topics to expand the evidence base on ending homelessness. These topics include understanding the full cost of scaling interventions and shaping public and political will to solve homelessness; evaluating longitudinal outcomes, such as the long-term outcomes of the Housing First approach for different subpopulations and how Continuums of Care (CoC) use resources to reduce racial disparities; learning more about person-centered approaches to tailoring housing and services to individual needs; better understanding the unique experiences of all subpopulations experiencing homelessness, particularly high-risk groups; understanding how best to address unsheltered homelessness; and evaluating lessons learned from the COVID-19 response.
To learn more, visit https://usich.gov/research
Read From Evidence to Action at: https://tinyurl.com/45kby8u5