Supportive Housing Data and Needs Assessment
We provide localized data and assessments that give communities a clear picture of their housing and service needs. These insights help local leaders address urgent supportive housing and service needs with data-driven, effective policies.
The Evidence is Clear: Supportive Housing Works
We deliver up-to-date, verifiable data that shows how supportive housing reduces homelessness, improves outcomes, and is cost-effective. Our tools and research reviews help communities and policymakers invest in what works.
- Supportive Housing Ends the Homelessness Cycle: Research shows that supportive housing improves housing stability, employment, mental and physical health, and school attendance. People in supportive housing live more stable and productive lives. They no longer cycle through homelessness and systems.
- Supportive Housing Reduces the Use of Costly Public Systems: Cost studies in multiple states and cities found that supportive housing results in decreased use of shelters, hospitals, emergency rooms, jails, and prisons.
- Supportive Housing Promotes Safe, Thriving Communities: Evidence shows that supportive housing benefits communities by improving neighborhood safety, beautifying city blocks with new or rehabilitated properties, and increasing or stabilizing property values over time.
Supportive Housing Data & Evidence
Supportive Housing Needs Assessment
The CSH National Supportive Housing Needs Assessment describes the total gap in supportive housing for communities across the country. The tool helps communities understand their supportive housing need across populations and systems, so they can effectively design policies and programs that address homelessness.
How to Use the Supportive Housing Needs Assessment:
- Hover over the interactive map with your pointer and select a state you want to view. You can view the total need in the pop-up box for each state when selected.
- Scroll down to see the system-by-system view of the needs data. The pop-ups on the pie chart will tell you total need by system.
- The toggle permits viewers to select Supportive Housing Need or Supportive Housing Need Per Capita results.
- At the bottom of the map, you can find buttons to share, download, or view in full screen mode.
See the data sources and references for the CSH National Needs Assessment.
Review of Supportive Housing Research
The growth of supportive housing over the last 30 years has been built on a foundation of research showing that it provides core benefits to people and communities. CSH compiled this list of selected literature on supportive housing from the last 20 years as a resource. Please review each source carefully to understand how to apply it to your work.
Please note that our review of the literature was not undertaken in an academic or systematic way; we make no claims about the strength of these evaluations or their findings.
Supportive Housing Evidence Briefs
Over the past 20 years, dozens of studies across the country have shown that supportive housing is an effective solution to homelessness. Supportive housing improves housing stability, reduces the use of expensive crisis care, and improves outcomes even for individuals with complex needs. These briefs spotlight key findings and outcomes, offering clear evidence that supportive housing works.
The Evidence for Supportive Housing
This brief highlights key evidence for communities to consider as they work to meet the housing and support needs of all individuals and families.
Evidence for Supportive Housing –
Substance Use
The stability that supportive housing provides supports many tenants in accessing substance use treatment and reducing or eliminating their use. This brief highlights key evidence related to supportive housing and substance use.
Data-Driven Solutions
Our data-driven solutions enable communities to break the cycle of homelessness and institutionalization while reducing public costs and improving community safety.
FUSE
CSH FUSE (Frequently Used Systems Engagement) uses data and supportive housing to reduce jail use and emergency healthcare costs. The program successfully breaks the cycle of homelessness and institutionalization for people with complex behavioral health challenges.
Returning Home
The data-driven CSH programs Returning Home and the Community Transition Program break the cycle of reincarceration and make communities safe. Learn how to bring these solutions to your state.
Contact Us
Get in touch with the CSH team if you have questions on our data or needs assessment tools. Or, start a conversation with us about bringing custom technical assistance to your community.