Signal 1: Blockchain as a Tool Against Homelessness

https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/05/the-tech-thats-changing-how-cities-help-the-homeless/561239/

The de-centralization of databases, through blockchain, may finally provide the solution to a key problem confronting homeless people: the need to centralize and protect their private information. Homelessness is on the rise across the United States and the trend may continue with victims being unable to escape the cycle. Many struggle to protect identification cards, such as Driver’s Licenses, Social Security, and Homeless Shelter ID’s, which are essential to accessing services. One of the main ways, obtaining a stable job, is practically impossible without any form of identification. But blockchain would store those identification records without threat of theft or corruption and would allow homeless people to access those records using their unique biometric data. Along with safeguarding their identification data, blockchain could potentially aid researchers in applying analytics to the homelessness problem. Because many shelters do not share data on their clients and each would have their own methodology of collecting it, a quantitative analysis is hardly ever robust. But, with blockchain, datasets would become more complete and clients with high risks of returning to shelters would receive more experienced case workers and better care, thus reducing the population of people suffering from chronic homelessness.