The Human Behind the Data: Reflections from an Ongoing Co-Design and Deployment of a Data-Navigation Interface for Front-Line Emergency Housing Shelter Staff

Abstract: On any night in Canada, at least 35,000 individuals experience homelessness. These individuals use emergency shelters to transition out of homelessness and into permanent housing. We designed and deployed a technology to support front-line staff at the largest emergency housing shelter in Calgary, Canada. Over a period of five months in 2022, we worked closely with front-line staff to co-design an interface for supporting a holistic understanding of client context and facilitating decision-making. The tool is currently in-use and our collaboration is ongoing. In this paper, we reflect on preliminary findings regarding the second iteration of the tool. We find that supporting shelter staff in understanding the human behind the data was a critical component of design. This work contributes to literature on how data tools may be integrated into homeless shelters in a way that aligns with shelters' values.