Research Question:
Defining Effectiveness in Homeless Aid
“Are New York State’s government administrative efforts in aiding the homeless more or less
effective than nonprofit organizations?”,
The dependent variable in this research study is the effectiveness of initiatives aimed
at assisting individuals experiencing homelessness. ,
EXPLAIN: What would be the data sources? (Pick from one of the two),
If you choose to collect data from primary data sets LIST and describe those sources in great detail ,OR If you choose to build your own dataset lay out the process for building and justification for that dataset.
Title: Defining Effectiveness in Homeless Aid
🔹 Choice: Building My Own Dataset
Justification for Building a Dataset
Defining Effectiveness in Homeless Aid
To compare the effectiveness of government versus nonprofit homelessness efforts in New York State, building a custom dataset allows for consistent variables, tailored comparisons, and inclusion of both quantitative and qualitative indicators. Public data often varies in format and focus, so a unified dataset improves accuracy and clarity.
1. Define Effectiveness Metrics (Dependent Variable)
Metrics will include:
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Housing placement rate
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Return-to-homelessness (recidivism) rate
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Employment outcomes
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Cost per person assisted
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Client satisfaction
These provide measurable and comparable indicators across programs.
2. Identify Providers and Categories
Each record will identify:
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Organization type (government vs. nonprofit)
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Region (urban/rural)
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Target group (individuals, families, veterans, youth)
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Service type (shelter, housing-first, supportive services)
3. Data Collection Sources
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NYC Open Data and NYS housing reports
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IRS 990s and nonprofit annual reports
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HUD Continuum of Care dashboards
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FOIL requests to NY agencies
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Audit reports (e.g., NYS Comptroller)
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Media reports or scholarly evaluations
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Optional: Surveys or interviews for qualitative insight
4. Time and Tools
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Years: 2018–2023
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Tools: Excel or Google Sheets (entry), SPSS or R (analysis)
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Supporting codebook for variable consistency
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Defining Effectiveness in Homeless Aid
🔹 Summary
Building a dataset enables a balanced, fair assessment of how effective each sector is in supporting homeless populations. This method also ensures consistency in definitions, outcomes, and coverage.