Tracking and Evaluation Issues for Homeless Service Providers in Allegheny County, PA

A main focus for social service agencies that work with homeless individuals is to help their clients achieve housing security. However, social service agencies report that the transient nature of many homeless individuals represents a major obstacle in achieving housing security. This transience leads to a loss of services for many homeless individuals and a return to the streets. This is of public health importance due to the increased risk that homeless individuals face of chronic diseases and exposure-related health complications. In order to address this problem, both improved tracking methods and evaluations are needed to increase the effectiveness of providers in helping clients achieve housing security. This thesis will first discuss innovative methods in tracking and evaluation nationwide to identify opportunities for improvement at the local level in Allegheny County, PA. These nationwide trends will then be compared to local trends, first in Pennsylvania as a whole and then in Allegheny County. This thesis will touch on the 10-year plan currently unrolling in Allegheny County to help end homelessness and how this program integrates tracking and evaluation. To further narrow the focus, this thesis will then discuss an evaluation conducted at Community Human Services Corporation (CHSC) in Pittsburgh, PA as a case study of tracking and evaluation obstacles faced by local homeless service providers. Finally, after thoroughly reviewing trends nationally and locally, several questions will be offered for Community Human Services and other homeless service providers to ask themselves in regards to tracking and evaluation methods. It is hoped that these questions will provide a starting point for social service agencies like CHSC to update and revise tracking and evaluation methods while also opening the door for further innovation in tracking and evaluation for Allegheny County