Why A Public Data Dashboard?

Heading Home of South Central Indiana has launched a new public data dashboard, updated monthly, to identify trends in homelessness for this region.

The dashboard stems from a partnership with Built for Zero, a national movement of over 100 communities working to measurably end homelessness. Built for Zero provides a framework for how communities can systematically end homelessness through qualitative data analysis. 

Communities working with Built for Zero embrace a data-driven strategy to reach functional zero. Functional zero occurs when local systems are actively reducing homelessness so it remains rare and brief for a population. 

In 2022, Heading Home created a task force to join Built for Zero. Current task force members include: Melissa Burgess, Forest Gilmore, Bob Goodrum, Mary Morgan, Emily Pike, Scotty Pietrovich, Danielle Sorden and Tatiana Wheeler. 

Since June of 2022, Heading Home staff has been creating monthly data reports from the region’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to measure system outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. The metrics include a breakdown of people entering the system (inflow) and people exiting the system (outflow). Data covers the region of Monroe, Morgan, Lawrence, Owen, Greene and Martin counties.

Before joining Built for Zero, not all homeless service providers in South Central Indiana were utilizing HMIS and this region’s Coordinated Entry System. Since then, Heading Home has worked with regional partners, addressing barriers to ensure all service providers are using the same data system. With this outreach, better and more accurate quality data has been collected.

Having a public data dashboard is an essential tool for agencies and community members in South Central Indiana to better understand the housing needs, progress, and obstacles in our region. 

Without quality data, it can be difficult to determine accurately the number of people experiencing homelessness and those being housed. Misperceptions about trends in homelessness are common and based on anecdotes, not data. The dashboard will allow users to see quantifiable trends in our region, and will help decision-makers identify solutions to more quickly move people into housing.

A coordinated effort is vital for our region to succeed in making homelessness rare, brief, and non-repeating. The dashboard allows partners and agencies to have a shared narrative and set of data to refer to in their work. 

The dashboard allows us to point out disparities and obstacles in our system that prevent people from obtaining and maintaining housing. With accurate data, innovative solutions can be implemented to serve all populations in South Central Indiana. 

Ultimately, the dashboard allows us to celebrate housing successes and continue paving a path toward reaching functional zero. The data dashboard will be updated monthly and can be accessed on the Heading Home website. 

To learn more about the terminology used in the dashboard, click here.

To explore the Indiana Housing Dashboard, a county-by-county look at housing-related demographics, click here.