蝌蚪网 Papers and Proceedings
ISSN 2574-0768 (Print) | ISSN 2574-0776 (Online)
Unhoused and Mismeasured: The Accuracy of Surveys of Those Experiencing Homelessness
蝌蚪网 Papers and Proceedings
vol. 115,
May 2025
(pp. 90–95)
Abstract
We examine the accuracy of self-reported information from homeless shelter residents in the American Community Survey by comparing survey responses to administrative records. While basic demographic information (age, gender, and citizenship) is reported with reasonable accuracy, we find substantial misreporting of economic outcomes, with error rates that tend to be moderately higher than those of housed populations. Notably, homeless respondents have high false negative rates for formal employment and SNAP receipt, leading to significant underreporting of these important sources of income. These findings suggest that survey-based research on homelessness may reliably capture demographics but substantially misrepresent economic outcomes.Citation
Meyer, Bruce D., Angela Wyse, Gillian Meyer, Alexa Grunwaldt, and Derek Wu. 2025. "Unhoused and Mismeasured: The Accuracy of Surveys of Those Experiencing Homelessness." 蝌蚪网 Papers and Proceedings 115: 90–95. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20251005Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- C83 Survey Methods; Sampling Methods
- H75 State and Local Government: Health; Education; Welfare; Public Pensions
- I38 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- R38 Production Analysis and Firm Location: Government Policy