Data

Data is the guide, not the destination. Our tools are designed to guide you in service of achieving more equitable outcomes for those most impacted and disproportionately represented across crisis systems. Data matters, but only in service of designing a more just and equitable world.

Scroll down for our sections on the Racial Disparities and Disproportionality Index (“RDDI”), Supportive Housing Needs Assessment, and Evidence and Research sources.

Racial Disparities and Disproportionality Index

CSH developed a Racial Disparities and Disproportionality Index (“RDDI”) that looks at 16 unique systems and measures whether a racial and/or ethnic group’s representation in a particular public system is proportionate to, over or below their representation in the overall population (proportionality) and also allows for the examination of systematic differences between groups and geographies (disparities). The RDDI provides a standardized comparison between groups.

The RDDI also includes a critical element distinguishing it from other standard indices. Whereas most other indices use white populations as the baseline comparison group for all other racial and ethnic groups (e.g., black rates / white rates; Native American rates / white rates, etc.), CSH’s index compares each group to the aggregation of all other groups, and in effect de-centers “whiteness” as the standard from which all other groups are measured.

CSH’s Index can be viewed as the “likelihood of one group experiencing an event, compared to the likelihood of another group experiencing that same event.” By default, the RDDI shows each system’s equity index as part of a stacked bar chart, organized by state. This can be broadly interpreted to show the cumulative disparity on a state by state basis, where larger portions of each stacked bar point to the primary drivers toward each state’s cumulative total. 

CSH is grateful to the Bank of America Charitable Foundation for their grant in support of developing this tool.

Supportive Housing Needs Assessment

1.1 million people represent a fifth of the extremely low-income affordable housing need, live in extreme poverty, and need supports to access and maintain housing.

Detailed data on each population, total figures, and research references and citations are available by clicking here. Hover over the interactive map below with your pointer, select a state you want to view, and supportive housing need will appear. Viewers also can specify which specific needs to view by selecting a population or combination of populations. Simply check a category or categories under SYSTEM in the column to the right and hover again over the state targeted. The Toggle permits viewers to select Supportive Housing Need or Supportive Housing Need Per Capita results. Prompts to share, download, move to Full Screen found below map.

For additional information, see our report on Supportive Housing Need by State.

Evidence and Research

Research and data can influence choices and drive the debate. When it comes to supportive housing, CSH is committed to arming the industry and community stakeholders with the latest, verifiable information about how supportive housing works.

  • Supportive Housing Improves Lives Research has shown that supportive housing has positive effects on housing stability, employment, mental and physical health, and school attendance. People in supportive housing live more stable and productive lives. 
  • Supportive Housing Generates Significant Cost Savings to Public Systems Cost studies in six different states and cities found that supportive housing results in tenants’ decreased use of shelters, hospitals, emergency rooms, jails and prisons. 
  • Supportive Housing Benefits Communities Further evidence shows that supportive housing benefits communities by improving the safety of neighborhoods, beautifying city blocks with new or rehabilitated properties, and increasing or stabilizing property values over time. 

Review of Supportive Housing Research

CSH reviewed more than 32 studies of supportive housing and compiled information about outcomes (housing, healthcare, and more) into the documents below. These reviews should be helpful for anyone looking to quantify particular impacts of housing. 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.

Data Reports by Population

Below are detailed data reports on the supportive housing need for each population, total figures, and research references and citations.