Private information, exits from homelessness, and better ways to operate rehousing programs

Do people experiencing homelessness have private information that helps predict when they will leave homelessness? Our answer is yes: homeless people know important things about their future. We use data from Journeys Home, a path-breaking longitudinal study of homeless people and people at risk of homelessness in Australia. We suggest ways that private information can be used to improve service delivery. In particular, we show why decentralized intake systems may be more effective than command-and-control systems, despite the popularity of the latter.