The University of Delaware’s Center for Community Research and Service (CCRS) is translating academic study into practical policy guidance as it confronts homelessness and housing instability across the state. A joint survey from the university and the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) found that housing costs are the primary driver of homelessness in Delaware, reinforcing decades of research that point to economic and systemic causes rather than individual failings.
Research guiding policy and practice
CCRS, part of the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, has positioned itself as a hub where researchers, state officials, nonprofit providers and housing developers exchange data, best practices and technical assistance. Since its founding in 1988, the center has cultivated expertise on homelessness and housing insecurity and recently deepened its collaboration with state partners.
That collaboration includes a joint housing policy team created in partnership with the university’s Institute for Public Administration. The team provides data-driven guidance and technical assistance to community and state leaders, aiming to turn research findings into actionable policy and program changes that reduce risk and improve outcomes for renters and people without stable housing.
Networks and new surveys
CCRS has developed and supported a number of initiatives that use data to shape interventions. One such effort, the Eviction Data Response Network, is a partnership between CCRS and Delaware stakeholders funded by New America. The network aggregates data from academic, state and nonprofit sources to inform strategies that produce more equitable outcomes for renters facing eviction.
"One thread that runs through all that we do at CCRS related to homelessness and housing has been to provide a hub for stakeholders on these issues to meet, to disseminate ideas and information, and to build community and collaboration," said Steve Metraux, CCRS director and national homelessness expert.
In addition to eviction-focused work, CCRS is launching a Division of Public Health–funded survey aimed at evaluating housing-insecure youth ages 13–24 and the service providers who work with them. The study is intended to shed light on the needs and gaps affecting young people who are particularly vulnerable to housing instability and to inform how providers and policymakers allocate resources.
Why housing cost matters
The joint UD–DSHA survey reiterates what CCRS researchers have observed over years of study: rising housing costs, constrained supply, and mismatches between incomes and rents push households into precarious situations. While the survey’s headline conclusion highlights cost as the central factor, the CCRS approach emphasizes that effective solutions depend on understanding a range of contributing elements — from eviction processes and access to supports to youth-specific pathways into homelessness.
- Data aggregation: Bringing eviction and housing data together to pinpoint high-risk populations.
- Cross-sector collaboration: Connecting state agencies, academics and nonprofits to coordinate responses.
- Youth-focused research: New survey to assess needs of 13–24 year-olds and frontline providers.
CCRS leaders say this research-to-action model is essential for developing interventions that are both evidence-based and tailored to local conditions.
Statewide implications
Delaware leaders and service providers can use these findings to direct funding, modify eviction prevention programs and support housing development that targets affordability for households most at risk. The Eviction Data Response Network and the new youth survey are designed to supply the kind of operational intelligence that can improve timing and targeting of assistance.
| CCRS activity | Primary partner(s) |
|---|---|
| Joint housing policy team | Institute for Public Administration |
| Eviction Data Response Network | New America, state & nonprofit stakeholders |
| Housing-insecure youth survey | Division of Public Health |
While research alone does not solve housing shortages or affordability gaps, CCRS officials and their partners say better data can make state and local responses more effective. By documenting the central role that housing costs play in driving homelessness and by developing targeted surveys and data-sharing networks, the center aims to give policymakers the tools they need to reduce risk and expand stable housing options.
The work also underscores a broader policy reality: addressing homelessness requires both immediate supports for people facing displacement and longer-term investments to expand affordable housing and stabilize renter households. CCRS’s role is to ensure those investments and interventions are grounded in current, locally relevant evidence.
