February 2023

At Home dives into our latest research and expert insights on housing, communities, and asset building. Enjoy this issue and check out more on our website.

NEWS

Hotels & Motels: California’s Response to Homelessness During COVID

California’s Project Roomkey —devised in response to COVID-19—may have broken new ground with its use of motels, hotels, and trailers as emergency shelters and interim housing for people experiencing homelessness. Read about our evaluation for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation and the California Health Care Foundation. 

HUD to Congress: Abt Finds Homelessness Up, Greater Burden by Race

HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress found a slight increase in homelessness in 2022, and continued overrepresentation by people of color. “The AHAR and other data show that people experiencing homelessness are increasingly vulnerable,” said Project Director Meghan Henry, “[and] people of color continue to be dramatically over-represented.”

Understanding Impacts of Alternative Rent Structures

Under a new HUD grant, Abt will work with impacted communities to assess two different proposed formulas for determining housing subsidies. We will contextualize the data by gaining insights from those who best understand the impact of these subsidies: the recipients. 

RESOURCES

New HUD, Abt Tools Help Communities Improve Resilience to Climate Change

From inland flooding to wildfires, climate-related hazards have devastating effects on all communities, with low- and moderate-income communities at greater risk. Check out the Community Resilience Toolkit and six new guides we developed for HUD to increase climate resilience and preparedness for communities.

Better Understanding HMIS Data

Developed by Abt for HUD, the new Eva tool—one in a series designed to help communities understand their homelessness data—reveals logical inconsistencies that hamper the ability to assess how homeless response systems are performing.

All In: A Blueprint to End Homelessness

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness recently released its Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, All In. Developed with 19 federal agencies, and designed by Abt, the multi-year plan provides a roadmap for ending homelessness in America, beginning with a 25 percent reduction by 2025. 

Abt Experts In the News

Our housing, communities, and asset building experts and work in the news:

U.S. Sees Slight Increase in Homelessness in 2022  - Meghan Henry quoted

Helping renters build assets and move out of poverty by scaling HUD’s best kept secret  - Compass Family Self-Sufficiency and Rent-to-Save pilot findings featured

The Housing Market Was a Roller Coaster Ride This Year - Barbara Fields interviewed

Homeless Encampment Sweeps May Be Draining Your City’s Budget - Abt’s encampments study cited