Thousands of persistently homeless Americans are turning sidewalks of U.S. cities into camps for internally displaced persons. In major west coast metropolitan areas, the number of long-term homeless needing housing far exceeds the available housing supply, making it difficult to move persistently homeless individuals off of the streets. One of the most promising approaches to reducing these numbers lies in early identification and quick, effective intervention to help those most likely to become persistently homeless.
This report presents two predictive screening models for intervening early to help individuals who would otherwise become persistently homeless. The first tool identifies the eight percent of low-wage workers who become persistently homeless after losing their jobs. The second tool identifies the eight percent of youth receiving public assistance who become persistently homeless in the first three years of adulthood.