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Short Moves and Long Stays: Homeless Family Responses to Exogenous Shelter Assignments in New York City

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  • Cassidy, Michael T.

    (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai)

Abstract

Using an original administrative dataset in the context of a scarcity induced-natural experi-ment in New York City, I find that families placed in shelters in their neighborhoods of origin remain there considerably longer than those assigned to distant shelters. Locally-placed families also access more public benefits and are more apt to work. A fixed effects model assessing multi-spell families confirms these main results. Complementary instrumental variable and regression discontinuity designs exploiting policy shocks and rules, respectively, suggest difficult-to-place families – such as those that are large, disconnected from services, or from neighborhoods where homelessness is common – are especially sensitive to proxi-mate placements. Better targeting through improved screening at intake can enhance pro-gram efficiency. The practice of assigning shelter based on chance vacancies ought to be replaced with a system of evidence-based placements tailored to families' resources and constraints.

Suggested Citation

  • Cassidy, Michael T., 2020. "Short Moves and Long Stays: Homeless Family Responses to Exogenous Shelter Assignments in New York City," IZA Discussion Papers 13559, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13559
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shinn, M. & Weitzman, B.C. & Stojanovic, D. & Knickman, J.R. & Jiménez, L. & Duchon, L. & James, S. & Krantz, D.H., 1998. "Predictors of homelessness among families in New York City: From shelter request to housing stability," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 88(11), pages 1651-1657.
    2. Nada Wasi & Aaron Flaaen, 2015. "Record linkage using Stata: Preprocessing, linking, and reviewing utilities," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 15(3), pages 672-697, September.
    3. Cassidy, Michael T., 2020. "A Closer Look: Proximity Boosts Homeless Student Performance in New York City," IZA Discussion Papers 13558, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Dennis P. Culhane & Stephen Metraux & Jung Min Park & Maryanne Schretzman & Jesse Valente, 2007. "Testing a typology of family homelessness based on patterns of public shelter utilization in four U.S. jurisdictions: Implications for policy and program planning," Housing Policy Debate, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 1-28, January.
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    1. Cassidy, Michael T., 2020. "A Closer Look: Proximity Boosts Homeless Student Performance in New York City," IZA Discussion Papers 13558, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • R28 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Government Policy
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • R20 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - General
    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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