Geospatial Active Search for Preventing Evictions

Anindya Sarkar, Alex DiChristofano, Sanmay Das, Patrick J. Fowler, Nathan Jacobs, Yevgeniy Vorobeychik

Abstract: Evictions are a threat to housing stability and a major concern for many cities. An open question is whether data-driven methods can enhance door-to-door outreach programs to target at-risk tenants. We model this problem using a new framework we term geospatial active search. Geospatial Active Search integrates visual information such as satellite imagery along with tabular data such as property and neighborhood-level information to create an online exploration plan. We develop an approach for the implementation of Geospatial Active Search in St. Louis to find properties containing tenants who will have an eviction filed against them.