Improving access to housing and supportive services for runaway and homeless youth: Reducing vulnerability to human trafficking in New York City

Abstract

Recent estimates indicate that there are over a million runaway and homeless youth and young adults (RHY) in the United States (US). Exposure to trauma, violence, and substance abuse, coupled with a lack of community support services, puts homeless youth at high risk of being exploited and trafficked. Although access to safe housing and supportive services such as physical and mental healthcare is an effective response to the vulnerability of RHY towards being trafficked, the number of youth experiencing homelessness exceeds the capacity of available housing resources in most US communities. We undertake a RHY-informed, systematic, and data-driven approach to project the collective capacity required by service providers to adequately meet the needs of RHY in New York City, including those most at risk of being trafficked. Our approach involves an integer linear programming model that extends the multiple multidimensional knapsack problem and is informed by partnerships with key stakeholders. The mathematical model allows for time-dependent allocation and capacity expansion, while incorporating stochastic youth arrivals and length of stays, services provided in a periodic fashion, and service delivery time windows. Our RHY and service provider-centered approach is an important step toward meeting the actual, rather than presumed, survival needs of vulnerable youth.

Keywords:

• Human trafficking
• homelessness
• capacity expansion
• mixed-integer linear programming
• homeless shelters

Data availability

The authors confirm that the aggregated data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its supplementary materials. As stated in the Institutional Review Board, due to the nature of this research, study participants (such as RHY organizations) did not agree for their data to be shared publicly; thus detailed, identifiable supporting data is not available.

Acknowledgments

The authors would also like to thank the New York City Mayor’s Office and New York Coalition for Homeless Youth for their insights and all of the RHY service organizations that helped inform this study. Special thanks to Andrea Hughes for her time and efforts.

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CMMI-1935602.

Notes on contributors

Yaren Bilge Kaya

Yaren Bilge Kaya is a PhD Candidate in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department at Northeastern University. Prior to joining the PhD program at Northeastern, she received her MSc in industrial engineering from the University of South Florida and BSc in industrial engineering from Ozyegin University in Istanbul. Improving access to public services and increasing efficiency in healthcare systems have been the main themes of her research.

Kayse Lee Maass

Kayse Lee Maass is an assistant professor in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department at Northeastern University where she leads the Operations Research and Social Justice Lab. She earned her PhD in industrial and operations engineering at the University of Michigan and completed her postdoctoral studies in the Department of Health Sciences Research at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Maass’s research focuses on the application of operations research methodology to social justice, access, and equity issues within human trafficking, mental health, housing, and food justice contexts

Geri L. Dimas

Geri L. Dimas is an PhD candidate in the Data Science Program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She received her MS in applied statistics from Bowling Green State University and received both a BA in actuarial science and a BS in computer science from Roosevelt University. Geri’s research focuses on applications of data science at the intersection of societal issues such as immigration, human trafficking, and homelessness.

Renata Konrad

Renata Konrad is an associate professor of Operations and Industrial Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Her research centers on applications of operations research to anti-human trafficking operations and healthcare access. She was awarded the 2021 IISE Modeling and Simulation Division Teaching Award for her innovations in teaching simulation. She earned her PhD in industrial engineering from Purdue University.

Andrew C. Trapp

Andrew C. Trapp is an associate professor of Operations and Industrial Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, with joint appointments in mathematical sciences and data science. He researches the use of prescriptive and predictive analytics, together with algorithms, to effectively allocate scarce resources for systems that serve vulnerable peoples. He creates novel analytical technologies and opensource software to improve quality of life, increase fairness, restore dignity, and generate significant societal impact.

Meredith Dank

Meredith Dank is a Research Professor and directs the Human Exploitation and Resilience initiative of the NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management. She is a nationally recognized expert on human trafficking. She has served as principal investigator for nearly two dozen human trafficking studies, funded by both federal agencies (including the Department of Justice, US Department of State, Department of Health, and Human Services, among others) and private foundations.