Data can do more than drive business outcomes or help fulfill the desires of the affluent middle class. It can alleviate the problems facing poor and disadvantaged members of society.

Taking a data-driven approach to ending homelessness in San Jose and the surrounding area, the Community Technology Alliance has created an app that provides social workers with real-time information on resources available to the homeless and those in danger of becoming homeless.

“What data does is it creates a narrative on the past and current experiences of people in need,” said Bob Russell (pictured), chief executive officer of Community Technology Alliance. “That narrative becomes a powerful tool for agencies … [who] can coordinate available services to those in need.”

Russell spoke with John Furrier, host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio, for a Digital CUBE Conversation from theCUBE’s Palo Alto studios. They discussed how data can be used to alleviate the problems of poverty and homelessness. (* Disclosure below.)

Data chaos reigns in public assistance programs

Social services are plagued with inefficiencies. Siloed data makes sharing information between agencies impossible, and incompatible data collection and reporting systems restrict access even within an organization. Money is wasted on management that could otherwise go to directly aiding those in need; and individuals have to spend hours searching and applying for benefits and assistance across multiple agencies.

“You do not get a complete picture in your community of what are the various services that you are providing this client,” Russell stated. “Agencies are very much aware that they have data silos out there, but they simply do not have the expertise or the time or the resources to manually take all of that data and try to come up with a single spreadsheet that tells them everything.”

By collecting and analyzing the data across the various agencies, TCA provided a way to coordinate resources and allowed them to see what was and was not working in their programs. It also became a powerful tool for funding: “You can take your data as an agency, as a community, and you can tell your story to policy leaders and to funders and say, ‘Look, here is how you can support us in order to provide effective homeless and poverty alleviation solutions,’” Russell stated.

How CTA’s app helped a single mom with a sick child get back on her feet

The true importance of the app is in its effect on people’s lives. Russell tells the story of a recently divorced mother whose son became sick. She went to a hospital and received care for her son, but when he was discharged they were unable to point her to anyone who could help her find housing and food assistance. Without transportation or guidance, she ran into obstacle after obstacle and ended up living in a homeless encampment with her child. That was where she met an outreach worker, and her luck changed.

“The outreach worker …  opened up our mobile app and found there is a nearby shelter that has space available,” Russell said. More than emergency shelter for the night, the outreach worker was able to locate resources to help the woman access financial assistance and secure her own apartment.

“This is how you can leverage technology and help someone in need,” Russell stated. “This is the beauty of technology.”

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s CUBE Conversations. (* Disclosure: Neither Informatica LLC., the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE