Data

Cities turn to GIS mapping to find housing for the homeless

As a nationwide housing shortage continues to push people into homelessness, cities like Denver and Los Angeles are turning to data to help locate public land to put housing on.

One city’s ‘data conversations’ help confront pressing challenges

Faced with water shortages, Henderson, Nevada, has turned to a data-driven approach to solve it. It’s now rolling out its approach to other departments citywide.

Rethinking engagement to support a rapidly growing older adult population

COMMENTARY | Having a reliable, evidence-based planning process can significantly impact how state governments address the immediate needs of their aging residents while planning for the future.

GOP states announce new voter roll systems. Are they as secure as ERIC?

An expert in elections administration and one of the founders of ERIC says the new systems could suffer from low data quality, high costs and inadequate security.

Is the Census taking steps to count the millions of LGBTQ+ Americans overlooked?

The Census Bureau’s plans to test questions about sexual orientation and gender identity in the American Community Survey is the latest step in a years-long push to improve national data on LGBTQ+ people.

New voter roll system unveiled after ERIC withdrawal

Alabama debuted a new system to manage the state’s registered voter rolls, completing a goal to replace the Electronic Registration Information Center system. Observers said the state seemed to simply be creating a newer version of the system it left behind.

Why humans can’t trust AI: You don’t know how it works, what it’s going to do or whether it’ll serve your interests

COMMENTARY | People can trust each other because they understand how the human mind works, can predict people’s behavior and assume that most people have a moral sense. None of these things are true of AI.

Researchers quantify communities' risk of a mass shooting

The new statistical analysis model would allow state and local agencies to understand the risk of a mass shooting and what they can do to prepare ahead of time.

Why the United States undercounts climate-driven deaths

A number of limitations prevent health departments from identifying an accurate climate-related death count. Experts say the lack of robust data coverage could hamper state and local governments' ability to implement preventative measures.

How data models may shape the future of wildfire response

Data models that integrate wildfire spread and vehicle and pedestrian evacuation routes can help responder agencies get residents to safety before an incoming wildfire becomes too much to manage.

States improperly dropping Medicaid participants due to programming errors

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid has given states two weeks to identify problems that have caused eligible participants—mostly children—to be incorrectly disenrolled. Otherwise, states could lose out on Federal Medical Assistance Percentage funding.

The proof is in the poo: New data tool offers early detection of community COVID surges

Using wastewater monitoring data, an algorithm detects spikes in COVID-19 before outbreaks happen, giving public health officials a jumpstart in keeping the coronavirus under control.

Using future, not just historical data projections could make state, local infrastructure designs more resilient

One county is baking sea level rise data projections into its building design requirements in an effort to prepare for the future effects of climate change.

127,000 New York workers have been victims of wage theft

An analysis of federal and state databases sheds new light on the prevalence and scale of wage theft in New York restaurants and other industries, placing the total wages stolen in one five-year period at more than $203 million.

When every minute counts: Dashboard maps emergency response to extreme heat

The EMS HeatTracker can help public health officials ensure emergency medical services reach those who need them most.

Analysis: A new approach to defining persistent poverty

COMMENTARY | Switching from using counties to census tracts in order to define persistent poverty may hurt rural communities and their chances when competing for federal dollars.

Turning workplace fatigue around with better data, policies

When managers use dashboards to see how many hours staff members are putting in, they can head off the negative consequences of worker fatigue.

Transit agencies prep for new data requirements

Around 500 or so transit systems are scrambling to get in compliance with the new standard, which the Federal Transit Administration and planners will use to improve service.

Pandemic spending exposes weaknesses in how governments handle data

A federal report found huge differences in how states and localities collected and shared data. Better collaboration could help prevent money going unaccounted for.

How to bake data-based evaluations into relief programs

A new initiative looks to help local leaders alleviate poverty and advance economic mobility using data to invest in evidence-based programs and evaluate innovative ideas.