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Estimating numbers of unsheltered homeless people through plant-capture and postcount survey methods

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  • Hopper, K.
  • Shinn, M.
  • Laska, E.
  • Meisner, M.
  • Wanderling, J.

Abstract

Objectives. We sought to increase the accuracy of New York City's estimates of its unsheltered homeless population. Methods. We employed 2 approaches to increasing count accuracy: a plant-capture strategy in which embedded decoys (or "plants") were used to estimate the proportion of visible homeless people missed by enumerators and a postcount survey of service users designed to estimate the proportion of unsheltered homeless people who were not visible. Results. Plants at 17 sites (29%) reported being missed in the count, because counters either did not visit those sites or did not interview the plants. Of 293 homeless service users who were not in shelters, 31% to 41% were in locations deemed not visible to counters. Conclusions. Both plant-capture estimation and postcount surveys are feasible approaches that can increase the accuracy of estimates of unsheltered homeless populations.

Suggested Citation

  • Hopper, K. & Shinn, M. & Laska, E. & Meisner, M. & Wanderling, J., 2008. "Estimating numbers of unsheltered homeless people through plant-capture and postcount survey methods," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(8), pages 1438-1442.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2005.083600_8
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.083600
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    Cited by:

    1. William N. Evans & David C. Philips & Krista J. Ruffini, 2019. "Reducing and Preventing Homelessness: A Review of the Evidence and Charting a Research Agenda," NBER Working Papers 26232, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Meyer, Bruce D. & Wyse, Angela & Corinth, Kevin, 2023. "The size and Census coverage of the U.S. homeless population," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    3. Lorenzo Fattorini & Giulio Ghellini, 2014. "Estimating the Size of Street-Dwelling Populations Using Mark-Resighting Counts," Mathematical Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 2-11, January.
    4. William N. Evans & David C. Phillips & Krista Ruffini, 2021. "Policies To Reduce And Prevent Homelessness: What We Know And Gaps In The Research," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(3), pages 914-963, June.
    5. Jean Calterone Williams, 2011. "“Stand Up and Be Counted”: The Politics of a Homeless Enumeration," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 3(3), pages 1-27, September.
    6. Linda J. Young & Andrea C. Lamas & Denise A. Abreu, 2017. "The 2012 Census of Agriculture: A Capture–Recapture Analysis," Journal of Agricultural, Biological and Environmental Statistics, Springer;The International Biometric Society;American Statistical Association, vol. 22(4), pages 523-539, December.
    7. Catherine L. Troisi & Ritalinda D’Andrea & Gary Grier & Stephen Williams, 2015. "Enhanced Methodologies to Enumerate Persons Experiencing Homelessness in a Large Urban Area," Evaluation Review, , vol. 39(5), pages 480-500, October.
    8. Gormley, R. & Goudie, I.B.J., 2013. "Estimation for the Schnabel census with plants," Statistics & Probability Letters, Elsevier, vol. 83(7), pages 1740-1744.
    9. James O'Donnell, 2020. "Estimating annual rates of homelessness," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(1), pages 1-34.
    10. Curtis Smith & Ernesto Castañeda, 2020. "Sick Enough? Mental Illness and Service Eligibility for Homeless Individuals at the Border," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-23, August.
    11. A. M. Coumans & M. Cruyff & P. G. M. Heijden & J. Wolf & H. Schmeets, 2017. "Estimating Homelessness in the Netherlands Using a Capture-Recapture Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 130(1), pages 189-212, January.
    12. John P. Allegrante & David A. Sleet, 2021. "Investing in Public Health Infrastructure to Address the Complexities of Homelessness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-8, August.
    13. Vincent A. Fusaro & Helen G. Levy & H. Luke Shaefer, 2018. "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Lifetime Prevalence of Homelessness in the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(6), pages 2119-2128, December.

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