LA Homelessness Demographic Survey

Standardized Records from the Demographic Survey of Unsheltered Individuals

economicrt.org-demographic_survey-1

Resources | Packages | Documentation| Contacts| References| Data Dictionary

Resources

  • combined_survey. Combined survey data from 2011 to 2017, with all columns, naievely combined
  • multiyear_survey. Data from Demographic Surveys and HMIS Records 2011 to 2017, with a normalized subset of common columns

Documentation

The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) conducts annual in-person surveys of the unsheltered homeless population in Los Angeles. This data package includes the standardized versions of the annual survey data for 2011 through 2017, combined into a single file (combined_survey) and another multi year file that was produced by UCLA, which includes only the common columns from the multi-year files. (multiyear_survey)

The combined_survey includes all of the columns from all of the years, although many columns only exist for one year. The result is that many of variables are null for one or more of the survey years.

The source for the multiyear_survey file was produced by UCLA and includes only a subset of the columns available in combined_survey, but the variables have many more non-null values.

The best way to compare these files is to look at the EDA notebooks for the files, and in particular, the Null map at the end of the notebook.

Processing

Both files have some additional processing

  • ‘NA’ values are converted to blank cells
  • A new sex column which codes the genders Male as ‘M’, Female as ‘F’, and all others as ‘U’
  • A new raceeth variable for census race and ethnicity categories with values for black, white, asian, aian, aian, nhopi, hisp and other, based on keywords in the Race_Full variable.
  • Strip trailing spaces from Race_Full
  • A new geoid variable that holds the census tract variable converted to a format Census geoid.
  • A new year variable that holds an integer version of the `Survey_Year“ variable

Contacts

Packages

Accessing Packages in Metapack

import metapack as mp
pkg = mp.open_package('http://library.metatab.org/economicrt.org-demographic_survey-1.zip')

# Create Dataframes

combined_survey_df = pkg.resource('combined_survey').dataframe()
multiyear_survey_df = pkg.resource('multiyear_survey').dataframe()

Data Dictionary

combined_survey | multiyear_survey

combined_survey

Column NameData TypeDescription
yearinteger
genderstring
sexstring
raceethstring
race_fullstring
race_recodestring
ethnicitystring
ageinteger
birth_yearinteger
census_tractstring
census_tract_or_shelteridstring
spainteger
adult_probation_involvementinteger
adult_with_childinteger
age_first_homelessinteger
alcohol_abuse_everinteger
alcohol_abuse_past_yearinteger
automobile_past_6mnthsinteger
automobile_past_yearinteger
car_past_6mnthsinteger
car_past_yearinteger
chronicinteger
chronic_conditioninteger
chronic_timeinteger
current_stint_durationstring
current_stint_duration_detailedstring
currently_access_dropininteger
currently_alcohol_drug_counselinginteger
currently_case_managementinteger
currently_emergency_shelterinteger
currently_housing_placementinteger
currently_job_traininginteger
currently_legal_assistanceinteger
currently_mental_healthinteger
currently_pay_shelterinteger
currently_transitional_housinginteger
day_laborinteger
depressioninteger
depression_past_yearinteger
developmental_disability_everinteger
drug_abuse_everinteger
drug_abuse_past_yearinteger
drug_alcohol_historyinteger
encampment_past_yearinteger
er_past_yearstring
er_times_past_3mnthsstring
foster_care_involvementinteger
full_timeinteger
gov_assist_calworksinteger
gov_assist_capiinteger
gov_assist_child_supportinteger
gov_assist_food_stampsinteger
gov_assist_general_reliefinteger
gov_assist_medicalinteger
gov_assist_medicareinteger
gov_assist_social_securityinteger
gov_assist_ssi_ssdinteger
gov_assist_unemploymentinteger
gov_assist_vet_disability_paymentinteger
gov_assist_vet_other_benefitinteger
gov_assist_vet_pensioninteger
gov_assist_women_infants_childreninteger
hardship_from_substance_abuseinteger
have_childinteger
have_had_childinteger
hiv_positiveinteger
hospital_times_past_yearstring
indoor_majority_last_monthstring
jail_prison_involvementinteger
justice_system_homelessinteger
justice_system_past_yearinteger
juvenile_probation_involvementinteger
la_community_before_current_stintstring
la_county_yearsnumber
location_before_current_stintstring
location_before_current_stint_rawstring
long_term_health_past_yearinteger
mental_illness_everinteger
mental_illness_past_yearinteger
msshelter_past_6mnthsinteger
new_to_homelessnessinteger
observed_mentalinteger
observed_physicalinteger
observed_substanceinteger
outside_la_countyinteger
outside_majority_last_monthstring
panhandlinginteger
parole_involvementinteger
part_timeinteger
performanceinteger
physical_disability_everinteger
physical_disability_past_yearinteger
physical_illness_everinteger
physical_sexual_abuseinteger
ptsd_everinteger
reason_homeless_breakupinteger
reason_homeless_child_supportinteger
reason_homeless_death_illness_faminteger
reason_homeless_dvinteger
reason_homeless_evictioninteger
reason_homeless_family_hmlsinteger
reason_homeless_foster_careinteger
reason_homeless_hh_conflictinteger
reason_homeless_immigrationinteger
reason_homeless_jail_prisoninteger
reason_homeless_jobinteger
reason_homeless_medicalinteger
reason_homeless_mentalinteger
reason_homeless_no_faminteger
reason_homeless_previous_housing_programinteger
reason_homeless_released_treatmentinteger
reason_homeless_safetyinteger
reason_homeless_sexual_orientationinteger
reason_homeless_subs_abuseinteger
reason_previous_housing_programinteger
reason_previous_uninhabitable_housinginteger
recyclinginteger
retiredinteger
rv_camper_past_6mnthsinteger
rv_camper_past_yearinteger
seasonalinteger
severe_depression_everinteger
severe_depression_past_yearinteger
sex_trafficinteger
sex_workerinteger
sexual_orientationstring
student_vocationalinteger
temp_workinteger
tent_past_6mnthsinteger
tent_past_yearinteger
times_homeless_3yrsstring
times_homeless_past_yearstring
tobacco_past_yearinteger
total_time_homeless_lifestring
traumatic_brain_injury_everinteger
turned_away_age_requirementinteger
turned_away_criminal_recordinteger
turned_away_drug_alcoholinteger
turned_away_everinteger
turned_away_had_childreninteger
turned_away_had_petsinteger
turned_away_immigrationinteger
turned_away_lack_housinginteger
turned_away_last_monthinteger
turned_away_mentalinteger
turned_away_no_bedsinteger
turned_away_noidinteger
turned_away_not_fosterinteger
turned_away_partnerinteger
turned_away_physicalinteger
turned_away_pregnantinteger
turned_away_previous_stayinteger
turned_away_strictnessinteger
unable_to_work_disabilityinteger
unemployed_lookinginteger
unemployed_not_lookinginteger
van_past_6mnthsinteger
van_past_yearinteger
veteraninteger
work_barrier_experienceinteger
work_barrier_gapsinteger
work_barrier_lack_edinteger
work_barrier_no_accessinteger
work_barrier_no_interviewinteger
work_barrier_turned_downinteger
weightsnumber

multiyear_survey

Column NameData TypeDescription
geoidstring
survey_yearstring
survey_typestring
yearinteger
birth_yearinteger
agenumber
genderstring
sexstring
ethnicitystring
race_fullstring
race_recodestring
raceethstring
veteraninteger
chronic_timeinteger
chronic_conditioninteger
chronicinteger
adult_with_childinteger
times_homeless_3yrsstring
times_homeless_past_yearstring
current_stint_durationstring
spainteger
census_tractinteger
physical_sexual_abuseinteger
physical_disabilityinteger
mental_illnessinteger
alcohol_abuseinteger
drug_abuseinteger
drug_alcohol_historyinteger
hiv_positiveinteger
part_timeinteger
full_timeinteger
unemployed_lookinginteger
unemployed_not_lookinginteger

References

Urls used in the creation of this data package.

  • demo_survey_2011. 2011 Homeless Count Unsheltered Adult and Youth Demographic Survey – Individuals – Standardized Records
  • demo_survey_2013. 2013 Homeless Count Unsheltered Adult and Youth Demographic Survey – Individuals – Standardized Records
  • demo_survey_2015. 2015 Homeless Count Unsheltered Adult and Youth Demographic Survey – Individuals – Standardized Records
  • demo_survey_2016. 2016 Homeless Count Unsheltered Adult and Youth Demographic Survey – Individuals – Standardized Records
  • demo_survey_2017. 2017 Homeless Count Unsheltered Adults and Youth Demographic Survey – Individuals – Standardized Records
  • demo_survey_2011_2017. Data from Demographic Surveys and HMIS Records 2011 to 2017

Last Modified 2019-07-17T00:48:21

Packages

Accessing Packages in Metapack

import metapack as mp
pkg = mp.open_package('http://library.metatab.org/economicrt.org-demographic_survey-1.zip')

# Create Dataframes

combined_survey_df = pkg.resource('combined_survey').dataframe()
multiyear_survey_df = pkg.resource('multiyear_survey').dataframe()