Recent Research on Racial Equity and VI-SPDAT
A new study, funded by Building Changes and implemented by C4 Innovations (C4), finds that the “VI-SPDAT unfairly favors white people over people of color, thereby perpetuating racial inequities within the homeless system. This study concludes that the VI-SPDAT tool is not equitably capturing vulnerabilities across racial groups, with people of color receiving overall lower prioritization scores than their white counterparts. The study found similar results for both single adults and families, although the pattern is stronger and more consistent among individuals.”
As C4 released the full report, many groups began discussing whether they should continue to use the VI-SPDAT and/or how they could make the coordinated entry (CE) tool/process “more firmly rooted in racial equity.” The CEPAT work group is assigned to evaluate the current Minnesota statewide CE tool (VI-SPDAT) and present recommendations to improve or replace the tool, so it is critical for Minnesota Housing to continue to evaluate the VI-SPDAT tool using a racial equity lens. Minnesota Housing will use feedback from stakeholders (the Minnesota Tribal Collaborative [MTC], CoCs, and the state) in its work and future decisions.
