Youth Homelessness Prevention: A randomized controlled trial

This project will be the largest randomized control trial of homelessness prevention services to date and will compare two different approaches to homelessness prevention. We will use a lottery to measure the effectiveness of (1) a combined program of progressive case management and flexible financial assistance relative to (2) only flexible financial assistance. This project will be conducted in the context of the Youth and Family Homelessness Prevention Initiative (YFHPI) in King County, Washington, where lawmakers are interested in assessing the effectiveness of the program's case management component. The results of this study will also be informative to policymakers and service providers in other communities that are interested in the most effective means of homelessness prevention. Enrollment began in May of 2018 and will continue until we have enrolled 600 participants. Our primary outcomes will be measures of housing stability including indicators of homelessness and changes in address; secondary outcomes may include family welfare, criminal justice, and employment outcomes.