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Homelessness: A Data-Driven Learning Guide

Goal & Concept

Goal

The goal of this exercise is to explore the characteristics of the Washington, DC Metropolitan area homeless population, and the relationship between homelessness and several measures of health. Frequency distributions, crosstabulation, and comparison of means will be used.

Concept

Homelessness is the most visible and extreme consequence of poverty. The number of homeless persons in the U.S. is difficult to measure due to transience, seasonal fluctuation, and movement in and out of homelessness. Similarly, it is difficult to measure demographic characteristics of the homeless and how they are affected by their living conditions.

Examples of research questions about homelessness:

  • What are the trends in homelessness rates?
  • Who are the homeless?
  • Why do people become homeless?
  • How does drug or alcohol addiction relate to homelessness?
  • What is the impact of homelessness on a person's physical and mental health?
  • What factors influence the rate of homelessness?
  • What services are needed to address the needs of the homeless?

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CITATION: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research. Homelessness: A Data-Driven Learning Guide. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2009-04-16. Doi:10.3886/homelessness

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ICPSR is part of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan.