A survey tool used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) used to gauge someone’s homelessness “vulnerability” — but has since been disowned by its co-creator after studies showed it disadvantaged minorities — is still being used in at least 39 states as well as the District of Columbia, reports the Washington Post.
The survey, called the “Vulnerability Index — Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool” (VI-SPDAT), is meant to weed out the most vulnerable people in need of housing, but, instead, may actually be leaving vulnerable people behind.
A 2019 study found that people of color received lower scores than White people and that the survey did not “equitably capture vulnerabilities.”
Another study last year found the tool was racially biased, with White women scoring consistently higher than Black women because Black women are less likely to seek health care and more reluctant to report risky behavior.
In addition, surveying people who were traumatized or mentally ill has also been proven problematic, often inaccurately issuing lower scores that recommend less-serious intervention. While the tool was originally designed to be one of many involved in a triage system of tackling homelessness, it has become the only tool in many care providers kits.
However, some care providers argue that the problem isn’t the survey, but the scarcity of affordable housing.
See Also: How an Algorithm Made Me Homeless by Yusuf Dahl for TCR, May 18, 2022.