Periodic Evaluations of Risk Assessments: Identifying Families for Homelessness Prevention Services

Abstract

The New York City Homebase program is one of only a few comprehensive U.S. homelessness prevention programs. To ensure that in-depth services are provided to families most at risk of homelessness, Homebase utilizes a structured assessment, the Risk Assessment Questionnaire (RAQ), developed using 2004–2008 data. We evaluated the RAQ’s performance in a more recent cohort of 48,450 families with children applying for Homebase services from 2013 to 2016, testing the predictive power of the current assessment, as well as the power of existing and potential new individual items, using Cox survival models to predict homeless shelter application. The RAQ threshold for in-depth services still effectively identifies shelter risk (13.7%, vs. 5.9% for those below the threshold), suggesting that services are being directed to the highest-risk families. Simulations of a modified RAQ reflecting regression results and program leadership input present assessment adjustments to consider to improve its efficiency and predictive power.

Keywords:

• Homelessness prevention
• risk assessment
• social services
• families

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Erica Jade Mullen

Erica Jade Mullen, PhD, was a senior research scientist at the Office of Evaluation and Research, New York City Department of Social Services, Office of Research & Policy Innovation at the time of manuscript preparation and submission. She is currently a research consultant with Everytown for Gun Safety.

Angela Ghesquiere

Angela Ghesquiere, PhD, is a senior research scientist at the Office of Evaluation and Research, New York City Department of Social Services, Office of Research & Policy Innovation.

Kinsey Dinan

Kinsey Dinan, MA, is Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Research & Policy Innovation at the New York City Department of Social Services.

Molly Richard

Molly Richard, MS, is a doctoral student at Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, Department of Human and Organizational Development.

Edith Kealey

Edith Kealey, PhD, is Research Director of the Office of Evaluation and Research at the New York City Department of Social Services, Office of Research & Policy Innovation.

Sara Zuiderveen

Sara Zuiderveen, MPP, is Senior Advisor on Housing & Homelessness at the New York City Department of Social Services.

Marybeth Shinn

Marybeth Shinn, PhD, is Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair and professor at Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, Department of Human and Organizational Development.