LEO’s James Sullivan presents homelessness prevention study on Capitol Hill | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › LEO’s James Sullivan presents homelessness prevention study on Capitol Hill LEO’s James Sullivan presents homelessness prevention study on Capitol Hill Published: September 15, 2016 Author: Brittany Collins Kaufman James Sullivan James Sullivan, Rev. Thomas J. McDonagh, C.S.C., Associate Professor of Economics and co-founder of the Wilson-Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities at the University of Notre Dame, will participate in a briefing to Congressional members, staff and other key stakeholders on Thursday (Sept. 15) about the impact of emergency assistance on homelessness. The briefing is organized by Catholic Charities USA, the national office for Catholic Charities agencies nationwide. Catholic Charities USA provides leadership and support to member agencies in their efforts to reduce poverty and support families in their communities. The briefing will provide an opportunity for members of Congress to learn more about how emergency financial assistance can prevent episodes of homelessness and provide cost savings for government agencies, since homelessness is an expensive problem facing cities. At the briefing, Sullivan will discuss his recent research on the effects of financial assistance hotlines on homelessness prevention. Sullivan and his colleague William Evans, Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Economics and co-founder of LEO, led a study of the Homelessness Prevention Call Center in Chicago to find out whether these call centers can effectively keep people seeking help from entering a homeless shelter. Through their study they found that these hotlines have a considerable effect on people facing homelessness, and that emergency financial assistance successfully prevents homelessness — if funding is available. “Policymakers and housing experts have long debated how best to address the persistent problem of homelessness in the United States,” Sullivan said after the study was published. “Our study shows that not only do targeted prevention programs work, but they also can save the community money.” Sullivan’s research examines the consumption, saving and borrowing behavior of poor households, and how welfare and tax policy affects the well-being of the poor. He has been a visiting scholar at the National Poverty Center. The Wilson-Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities is a research lab housed in the Department of Economics at Notre Dame. LEO matches top researchers with leaders in social service agencies to conduct impact evaluations that identify the innovative, effective and scalable programs and policies that support self-sufficiency. LEO fulfills the University’s mission “to cultivate … a disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice and oppression that burdens the lives of so many.” Contact: James Sullivan, jsulliv4@nd.edu Posted In: Research Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related October 05, 2022 Astrophysicists find evidence for the presence of the first stars October 04, 2022 NIH awards $4 million grant to psychologists researching suicide prevention September 29, 2022 Notre Dame, Ukrainian Catholic University launch three new research grants September 27, 2022 Notre Dame, Trinity College Dublin engineers join to advance novel treatment for cystic fibrosis September 22, 2022 Climate-prepared countries are losing ground, latest ND-GAIN index shows For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn