The research team at Notre Dame’s Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities is no stranger to the greater Pacific Northwest. Alongside strong community partners like King County (Seattle) Metro, we’ve studied the impact of interventions like the Youth and Family Homelessness Prevention Initiative and Transit Subsidy Income-Based Fares.
This summer, LEO will return to Seattle to launch a new location-based cohort that centers around housing and homelessness prevention, an ongoing focus area for LEO researchers.
Last year, more than 326,000 people were counted in homeless shelters across the country on a single night, and the number of sheltered individuals with chronic patterns of homelessness increased by 20 percent, according to the latest Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress.
“We are excited by what can happen when we bring together like-minded nonprofit and government agencies in a single community around a single issue,” said Heather Reynolds, LEO’s managing director. “They can support one another through the research process, learn from each other, and build upon their culture of learning in Seattle. We believe there will be a ripple effect from the evidence this cohort contributes to the fight against homelessness in this region and the nation at large.”
LEO is currently vetting agencies for the application process. In July, the LEO team will travel to Seattle to host a workshop, where cohort members will be paired with their research teams and go through a training on the impact evaluation process.
Interested Seattle-area agencies can learn more by contacting Fran Gallagher, Project Development Manager, at fkgallagher@nd.edu.