Decision Information Resources, Inc.

Evaluating Houston’s HueMan: Shelter: A Bloomberg Public Art Challenge for Homelessness and Community Change


Highlights
  • Evaluate impact on homelessness perceptions and community engagement in Houston.
  • Collect and analyze data through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observations.
  • Assess economic development, civic pride, and public art outcomes over a 13-month period.

Official Title
City of Houston Bloomberg Public Art Challenge: HueMan: Shelter
Location(s)
City of Houston
Activities
Collect and analyze data
Surveys
Focus Groups
In-depth interviews
Observations
Analysis of administrative data
Dates
11/2024 - 11/2025
Client
Midtown Cultural Arts and Entertainment District and the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs
Project Description

The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and the Midtown Cultural Arts and Entertainment District have engaged Decision Information Resources, Inc. (DIR) to evaluate the HueMan: Shelter initiative, part of the Bloomberg Public Art Challenge. This initiative uses public art to address homelessness by involving unhoused individuals as contributing artists, fostering healing, dignity, and community connection, while shifting public perceptions and generating economic and civic benefits.

DIR will utilize a mixed-methods evaluation approach, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques such as interviews, focus groups, surveys, and observational studies. The evaluation will assess HueMan: Shelter’s impact on public perceptions of homelessness, participant well-being, and community engagement. It will also examine how program implementation affects outcomes like economic benefits, civic pride, and community development. Findings will be informed by equity-centered and participatory methods to ensure stakeholder input and contextual relevance.

Data collection activities will occur throughout the project, starting with baseline surveys and interviews in early 2025. Semi-annual efforts will include focus groups with artists, observational studies, and surveys of local businesses and residents to track changes in attitudes, economic activity, and civic engagement. DIR will also analyze administrative records provided by Career and Recovery Resources (CRR) and collaborate with BOP Consulting to incorporate national evaluation metrics.

DIR’s partners, CRR and BOP Consulting, bring critical expertise and data. CRR offers direct insights from program participants, while BOP contributes national evaluation frameworks, ensuring comprehensive and meaningful analysis of HueMan: Shelter’s implementation and impact.

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