The Better Data Project

Since the inception of the Institute of Global Homelessness, the most common question we are asked is: "How many people are experiencing homelessness globally?" The answer, unfortunately, is that nobody knows. Mapping and measuring homelessness as a global phenomenon has never been done, due in part to differing definitions of homelessness and to varying methods for data collection which render side-by-side comparisons impossible. But just because something has never been done doesn't mean it cannot be done, and so IGH is excited to announce the launch of the Better Data Project, which collates all available numbers, despite their incompatibility with one another, in order to showcase the difference between definitions and methodologies, see where gaps exist, and work together around the world to align terminologies and data collection practices.

We gathered as much data as we could find on homelessness in different countries. We recognize that some of this data is outdated, not collected according to best practices, and not comparable across countries. However, the goal of the data visualization is to demonstrate where and how countries can align on definition and methodologies, improving over time. We have called this experiment the Better Data Project to highlight that this map is not meant to be a definitive, accurate, or comparable collation of numbers. Rather, it is designed to use “whatever number is available," in order to highlight the array of definitions, methodologies, and reliability through which homelessness data is collected. We hope that the Better Data Project will be a starting point not just for data collection, but data improvement and accountability. The ultimate goal of the project is to be able to define and compare homelessness between countries. Only then will we be able to accurately track the effectiveness of strategies that address homelessness and answer the question, “how many people are experiencing homelessness globally?” Explore the data map for yourself here: ​https://ighomelessness.org/global-homeless-data/