Meghan Henry, Ph.D.

Meghan Henry is a social science researcher with over 15 years of experience in public policy and program evaluation, specifically in the fields of housing and homelessness and the intersection of homelessness and education. Henry has extensive experience leading evaluations, including large data collection efforts, conducting qualitative data collection, data analysis, and outcome evaluations. As project director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, she has considerable experience synthesizing large amounts of information to make the data accessible and actionable for federal, state, local, and philanthropic clients.

For more than 10 years, Henry has led or supported the AHAR for HUD. Henry and her team collect and analyze Point-in-Time (PIT), Housing Inventory (HIC) data, and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data through the Longitudinal Systems Analysis (LSA) files to understand the extent and nature of homelessness nationwide. Through AHAR, the team designs and updates data collection processes and portals, working with 400 communities to collect, review and improve data quality, analyze characteristics and trends, and prepare the report for Congress.

Henry is also the principal investigator for a research study examining doubled-up middle school students in Los Angeles. Doubling-up reflects housing instability and her work takes an equity lens, focusing on Black, Indigenous and people of color, and seeks to understand the systems that can help identify students in this situation, how students are connected to resources and supports available, and how students and families themselves experience the process.

Henry has led other pivotal studies including a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services evaluation of the transitional living program for homeless LGBTQ youth and youth aging out of the foster care system, and a rapid re-housing evaluation for the Weinberg Foundation.

Expertise

• Homeless assistance programs
• Housing assistance programs
• Special Education Programs (EHCY)
• Implementation and program evaluations
• Outcome evaluations
• Focus group administration
• Qualitative interviewing
• Survey design
• Large scale data collection management
• Writing/Interpretation

Key Projects

• AHAR

Publications

• Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress: US Department of Housing and Urban Development (January 2020, December, 2019, November, 2018, November 2017, November 2016, November 2015, November 2014, November 2013, November 2012, and November 2011).
• Evaluation of the First Place Program in Portland Maine Brief Series. John T. Gorman Foundation (2018-2020).
• Examination of Family Homelessness in Columbus/Franklin County, OH 2010 – 2014. Community Shelter Board. (June 2015).
• Final Report: Evaluation of the Rapid Rehousing for Homeless Families Demonstration Program. US Department of Housing and Urban Development (August 2015).
• Study of PHA’s Efforts to Serve People Experiencing Homelessness US Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2014)