Patrick Power PRO
Economics PhD @ Boston University
With Reference to
Evans et al. (2016)
"The primary concern is that most individuals and families at risk of losing their housing do not end up homeless, even if they do not receive financial assistance"
Motivation
"A study in Chicago, for example, found that among eligible people who sought financial assistance to prevent homelessness but were denied, only 2 percent entered an emergency shelter within 6 months (Evans et al., 2016).
"To-date there is no direct experimental evidence of the impact of such financial assistance"
Geography: Santa Clara, CA
Design
Clients who are on the margin of being eligible for assistance and who cannot demonstrate an ability pay future rent in a county with high and rapidly rising rents.
Results
Emergency Shelter Usage
Funding Rate
Non-veteran tenants seeking one-months rent ($300-$900) who don't have a rental subsidy and whose income is less than twice the poverty line and have a social security number
Baseline Differences
Treatment Effects
Dynamic Treatment Effects
Why might homeless prevention programs which provide financial assistance not be effective?
Average Financial Assistance
Financial Assistance
Sample Eligibility
Not Eligible
for Support
Eligible
for Support
Assessment Score
Entitled to Financial Assistance
Which is the most interesting column-column comparison?
Temporary Offer of Financial Assistance
Agency & Month Fixed Effects
Formally Homeless
Regression Specification
First Stage
LATE
Treatment Heterogeneity
"The client must be able to demonstrate self-sufficiency after they receive assistance; (ii) the client must have an eligible crisis (e.g., job loss or medical emergency) that has led to the need for assistance; (iii) the client must face imminent risk of homelessness or utility shutoff; and (iv) the current crisis must be solvable by the financial assistance."
By Patrick Power