Project Summary
LINC is supporting a project to estimate homelessness among youth ages 14-24 by connecting data from multiple state and local systems. The first phase of work involved a descriptive analysis of linked local and state administrative data in the Denver area and will be used to better understand the extent to which these systems identify and serve Denver’s youth homelessness population. The research team used 5 years of longitudinal data to describe the characteristics and experiences associated with homelessness. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and conducted in partnership with the Center for Policy Research.
The next phase of this work will focus on using the approach of the Denver project at a statewide level. The researchers will also expand the Denver project to look at characteristics of youth experiencing homelessness. The project team will develop a Best Practice Guide for using integrated administrative data sources to produce rigorous and efficient estimates of youth homelessness.
Data Partners
- Colorado Department of Human Services – Office of Children, Youth, and Families
- Metro Denver Homeless Initiative
- Denver Public Schools