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Information for Service Providers

Information for Continuum of Care coordinators and service providers participating in the 2023 Minnesota Homeless Study

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The data and analysis from the Minnesota Homeless Study provide advocates, program and service providers, funders, and policymakers information they need to identify and address systemic issues, improve programs and policies, and ultimately eliminate homelessness.

Since 1991, the Minnesota Homeless Study has been conducted as a collaboration between Wilder Research, state and county agencies, CoCs, and hundreds of service providers across the state to better understand the prevalence of homelessness in Minnesota and the circumstances of people experiencing homelessness.

The 2023 Minnesota Homeless Study will be the first conducted since the COVID-19 pandemic began. It is more important than ever to shine a light on homelessness in Minnesota. Together, we will be better prepared to meet its challenges with clear and accurate information.

The next study will take place on October 26, 2023.

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Improve instrument to reduce burden on participants

Wilder Research staff have carefully examined each question on the 2018 survey to match against the value of the information, contributions to trend lines and policy decisions, current relevance, and burden on respondent. Wilder Research staff eliminated about one quarter of the questions on the instrument and reworded or clarified a significant portion.
A staff member with expertise in trauma-informed research reviewed the instrument and offered suggestions on wording. They will also help revise the training materials for interviewers. In addition, two open-ended questions were added to the end of the survey instrument to gather information about participant resiliency and strength.
The Minnesota Tribal Housing Collaborative has reviewed the instrument and provided suggestions for the 2023 version.
Members of the Hennepin County Lived Experience Advisory Group reviewed the instrument and provided input on new and existing questions and instructional language.
Three Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) will review the survey instrument for approval.

Increase support for providers to implement the study, especially in greater Minnesota

Wilder will promote a telephone interview option to providers as an alternative to having their own staff or volunteers interview in shelters. This may be especially useful to scattered site shelters, smaller shelters, and county office staff in regions outside of the metro area.
Wilder will increase efforts to recruit interviewers for sites in greater Minnesota. In past studies, Wilder has matched volunteer interviewers to sites in Duluth and central Minnesota, as well as on several reservations.

Improve value and utilization of information by CoC regions

Currently, Wilder provides counts reports and detailed data tables for every question on the survey for each CoC region, as well as greater Minnesota versus metro regions. In addition, Wilder has initiated data-informed decision-making workshops for providers, policymakers, funders, and CoC coordinators to understand the depth of information available. Over 200 people attended workshops in 2019. Wilder will increase these types of “data parties” after the 2023 study.
Because there has been significant staffing turnover leading to decreased familiarity with the data as well as a need to increase ease of access to information, Wilder will seek funding to produce region-specific fact sheets, similar to those prepared for Ramsey and Hennepin counties in previous years.
Wilder is available to attend CoC meetings to promote the study and/or give findings when they are available.

Continue to leverage HMIS data

Most shelter providers will no longer need to provide survey day counts by gender, age group, and family status. The HMIS Governing Board has approved Wilder Research working with ICA staff to use HMIS shelter counts data to supplement the interview data. The shelter counts are used for the counts reports and trends (in addition to those counted in unsheltered and non-HMIS locations) and for survey weighting.
Wilder has also had extensive conversations with state, CoC, provider, and ICA staff about aligning the Minnesota Homeless Study with the PIT count. Ultimately, ICA decided that the timing for 2023 was not feasible, but conversations continue. In 2023, Wilder and Hennepin County partnered to plan and implement their PIT count.

Better communicate how the Minnesota Homeless Study and the Reservation Homeless Study results are used to better serve people with housing instability

Extensive media and advocacy attention caused by the release of the Single Night Count of People Experiencing Homelessness Fact Sheet led to the governor increasing his budget for housing and homelessness services.
A “Twitterstorm” related to the release of the 2018 fact sheet on the characteristics of people experiencing homelessness led to passage of bill through legislative committee hearings.
A Minnesota Housing data-informed decision-making workshop focused on population-specific responses to unsheltered homelessness.
Tribal advocates used Minneapolis encampment data to secure funding.
Metro Transit requested a special analysis of people who use transit for shelter to better design responses, including case management, to assist people with multiple needs, especially when planning for Green Line night-time closures.
At the start of the pandemic, the state requested a special analysis to understand more about the needs of people most at risk of COVID-19 to include with their FEMA application.
Wilder worked with Minnesota Housing and the Minnesota Department of Health to conduct a special analysis for a grant specific to pregnant women.
The Office of Economic Opportunity used data in a legislative report on youth experiencing homelessness in an effort to promote system improvements.
State agencies used data to inform several specific legislative requests, including those that provide credits for youth.
Several private foundations have requested and used data for planning. Examples include understanding the number of housing units needed to eliminate racial disparities in homelessness in the Twin Cities and understanding the bi-directional flow of people experiencing homelessness between greater Minnesota and the metro area.
City of Minneapolis staff recently used data to inform development of city-level emergency plans and resource allocations for unsheltered persons.
Providers and grant managers regularly request and use study data when seeking funding.

This timeline highlights what Continuum of Care coordinators and providers can expect in the months leading up to the October 26, 2023 study.

May-June 2023

Wilder, with support from ICA, identifies and contacts eligible emergency shelter and emergency shelter voucher programs, transitional housing, and domestic violence sites

Wilder asks CoC coordinators to review site lists and provider contacts for accuracy. Wilder does initial outreach to individual providers through email.

June-July 2023

Wilder gathers and confirms participation details directly from all programs, also called sites

Wilder gathers information such as how many people each site expects to serve on 10/26/23, whether they need support from Wilder to do interviews, information on best contact people at the program, etc.

August-September 2023

Wilder and others develop plans to interview people not in shelter

CoCs, advocates, and Wilder will develop a plan to find and interview people not in shelter.

September-October (early) 2023

Wilder confirms program participation details

Wilder confirms provider participation details, determining how much information to send and how to send it (via mail or electronically).

October 2023

Wilder sends out participation materials or prepares them for pick-up and may reach out to confirm final details

Wilder sends participation materials such as surveys and incentives. If Wilder is supporting your site by providing interviewers, coordinating phone interviews, etc., we will do a final confirmation shortly before the 26th.

October 26, 2023: Conduct Minnesota Homeless Study interviews

If you are a CoC coordinator or providers and have questions about the 2023 study, please contact Study Co-Directors Michelle Gerrard or Rebecca Sales.

In recent years, data from the study has guided our leadership’s strategic decision-making about where to expand programs and services, informed our agency response to the COVID pandemic, and shaped our multi-year campaign to develop more trauma-informed, health-focused programs for homeless individuals of all ages.

Jessica Meyerson, Chief Accountability Officer, Catholic Charities Twin Cities

Young woman with red hair holding little girl in her arms

7 Things to Know About the Minnesota Homeless Study

In October 2023, Wilder Research will partner with state agencies, tribes, housing service providers, and volunteers across the state to interview thousands of people experiencing homelessness as part of the next Minnesota Homeless Study. Read the article »

Information for Service Providers

Information for Continuum of Care coordinators and service providers participating in the 2023 Minnesota Homeless Study

The next study will take place on October 26, 2023.

☰On This Page

Responding to changing needs: 2023 study enhancements

Improve instrument to reduce burden on participants

Increase support for providers to implement the study, especially in greater Minnesota

Improve value and utilization of information by CoC regions

Continue to leverage HMIS data

Better communicate how the Minnesota Homeless Study and the Reservation Homeless Study results are used to better serve people with housing instability

2023 Minnesota Homeless Study timeline

May-June 2023

Wilder, with support from ICA, identifies and contacts eligible emergency shelter and emergency shelter voucher programs, transitional housing, and domestic violence sites

June-July 2023

Wilder gathers and confirms participation details directly from all programs, also called sites

August-September 2023

Wilder and others develop plans to interview people not in shelter

September-October (early) 2023

Wilder confirms program participation details

October 2023

Wilder sends out participation materials or prepares them for pick-up and may reach out to confirm final details

October 26, 2023: Conduct Minnesota Homeless Study interviews

7 Things to Know About the Minnesota Homeless Study

About the Minnesota Homeless Study

Information for Service Providers

Information for Continuum of Care coordinators and service providers participating in the 2023 Minnesota Homeless Study

The next study will take place on October 26, 2023.

☰On This Page

Responding to changing needs: 2023 study enhancements

Improve instrument to reduce burden on participants

Increase support for providers to implement the study, especially in greater Minnesota

Improve value and utilization of information by CoC regions

Continue to leverage HMIS data

Better communicate how the Minnesota Homeless Study and the Reservation Homeless Study results are used to better serve people with housing instability

2023 Minnesota Homeless Study timeline

May-June 2023

Wilder, with support from ICA, identifies and contacts eligible emergency shelter and emergency shelter voucher programs, transitional housing, and domestic violence sites

June-July 2023

Wilder gathers and confirms participation details directly from all programs, also called sites

August-September 2023

Wilder and others develop plans to interview people not in shelter

September-October (early) 2023

Wilder confirms program participation details

October 2023

Wilder sends out participation materials or prepares them for pick-up and may reach out to confirm final details

October 26, 2023: Conduct Minnesota Homeless Study interviews

7 Things to Know About the Minnesota Homeless Study

Help make the Minnesota Homeless Study a success

About the Minnesota Homeless Study