Capability Traps Impeding Homeless Services: A Community-Based System Dynamics Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Social Policy

Background:

• Continuums of Care (CoCs) coordinate U.S. homeless services but face coordination challenges due to complex interagency networks.
• Limited academic literature exists on CoC governance, planning, and service provision, leaving them with little guidance.
• Effective management of complex systems is crucial for improving homeless services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify capability traps hindering homeless service delivery within CoCs.
• To engage stakeholders, including homeless consumers and service providers, in a structured system improvement process.
• To provide insights for policy and practice recommendations to enhance the homeless service system.

Main Methods:

• Applied community-based system dynamics methodology.
• Involved homeless consumers and service providers as key stakeholders.
• Focused on identifying system-level barriers and facilitating structured improvement.

Main Results:

• Identified specific organizational structures within governance and planning that inhibit optimal system outcomes.
• Revealed capability traps that impede effective homeless services delivery.
• Highlighted the need for improved coordination and strategic planning within CoCs.

Conclusions:

• Organizational structures in CoCs can impede system performance.
• System dynamics offers a valuable approach for understanding and improving complex social service networks.
• Policy and practice adjustments are recommended to enhance the effectiveness of homeless service systems.