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Improving Homeless Point-In-Time Counts

Uncovering the Marginally Housed

Bibliographic Data

ID13089082
AuthorsCurtis Smith (0000-0002-3103-6634, Bentley University, corresponding author), Ernesto Castañeda (0000-0002-3351-1099, American University)
Year2018
Volume6
Issue2
Pages91-104
Publication date2018-11-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Currents (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2329-4965 • E-ISSN: 2329-4973
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/2329496518812451
OpenAlexW2901144628
LanguageEN
Citations received23
References cited35

This article discusses improvements made to the methodology of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) point-in-time (PIT) homeless census. HUD’s PIT results are presented to Congress as official data for policy consideration. Yet, PIT methodology focuses on visible street homeless individuals and those in shelters while neglecting the “marginally housed” or less visible homeless who live in automobiles or temporarily stay with friends and extended family. Being a hidden population, the marginally housed has been a traditionally difficult population to study. We replicated HUD’s PIT count but additionally targeted the marginally housed to improve traditional methods of counting the homeless. We improve the PIT count in two ways: (1) by extensively training counters, and (2) by using the personal networks of hundreds of counters to seek out the marginally housed. Student researchers from a local university located 333 more homeless individuals than the local PIT, of which 153 were marginally housed. We do not claim this to be an exhaustive count of all the marginally housed in the region, but it is an initial step in developing methodologies to include this hidden population when calculating the total homeless population. This approach can also improve traditional homeless counts in other cities

Census · Geography · Point (geometry · Population · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Demography · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine · Gerontology

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Unique citing works23
Citations per year2,88
Citation span2018 - 2026 (9)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 22
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