The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocates a portion of its $68.7 billion budget to programs designed to support information gathering, analysis, and technical assistance for HUD customers. Recently, it chose global consulting and digital services provider ICF to support the National Homeless Data Analysis Project and Community Compass initiatives in a series of three year, multimillion-dollar cooperative agreements.
The firm will provide training, technical assistance, capacity building, and data analysis to local nonprofits, cities, counties, and states as they work to implement community development and secure stable housing programs. ICF will continue to manage the HUD Exchange, a digital platform to help community partners access resources and assistance to implement programs, as well as continue to provide capacity-building help to Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery grantees to support disaster recovery and mitigation programs.
"For over three decades, ICF has provided HUD community partners with the assistance they need to support critical programs and initiatives that have real impact—in curbing homelessness; providing safe, affordable housing; building community resilience to disasters; and more," said Mark Lee, ICF Executive Vice President and Public Sector Lead, in a press release. "We look forward to continuing to support these communities through innovation and enhanced resources and data that better empower them to achieve their missions."
The National Homeless Data Analysis Project provides resources that help communities improve data collection and reporting, as well as analysis of data about people experiencing homelessness, enhancing HUD’s ability to produce standards and specifications for data entry as well as produce the Annual Homeless Assessment Report. With the U.S. homeless population estimated at over half a million people and with housing prices continuing to skyrocket, the need for accurate data and clear analysis will only grow more crucial to support this highly vulnerable population.
ICF empowers states, municipalities, and nonprofits to support low-income and marginalized populations by building capacity for inclusive and resilient communities via a data-driven, solutions-oriented approach. This new round of contracts will help them continue their support of work creating equitable, sustainable, and effective programs.
