Making Household Need Data More Accessible: DHS Launches Its Interactive Databook

On April 16, 2024, the State of Hawai‘i Department of Human Services (DHS) launched a new interactive version of their databook. As the largest state department that provides services for Hawai‘i residents across all islands, DHS collects a wealth of data regarding the conditions and needs of communities statewide. The interactive databook – along with the PDF version that will continue to be released annually – will provide valuable aggregated, anonymized, community-specific data so that the public, service providers, and policymakers may make data-guided decisions when it comes to accessing, providing, and funding benefits and services.

Making Data Accessible and Digestible

State of Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services’s Interactive Databook

Hawai‘i Data Collaborative (HDC) was excited to support DHS in developing the interactive databook. By utilizing the data reported in the annual databook from 2002 to 2022, we were able to create an integrated and interactive visualization that provides a longitudinal perspective on DHS’s data, as well as the ability to sort and view data based on specific parameters. While all this data was previously publicly available, the interactive databook presents the data in a way that will enable users to gain insights from the data more easily, as well as identify trends and ask questions that may not have been as obvious in the past. It’s a great example of our state government responding to community demand for digestible and easily accessible data, and taking the lead in creating a data ecosystem that will ultimately lead to better serving communities in need.

Interactive Databook Use Case Examples

To illustrate the functionality of the interactive databook, we have selected three examples that demonstrate how the interactive visualizations can help provide deeper insight into DHS data.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

The TANF data visualization captures longitudinal trends, or trends over time. By presenting data from multiple annual reports in one visualization, the TANF section of the interactive databook makes trends, or breaks in trends, easier to identify. For example, in the graph above, the percentage of 18-29 year olds receiving aid approximately doubled from 2019 to 2020. This break in the trend begs the question, “What changed?” Was it the COVID pandemic, or something else?

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

The SNAP data visualization allows for sorting data by multiple demographic conditions including race/ethnicity, age, gender, and citizenship, allowing for a better understanding of the types of community members participating in SNAP. In particular, the race/ethnicity visualization allows for choosing specific ethnicities from the dropdown menu to see how each group’s SNAP participation has changed over time. This data could potentially be used to ask questions about how need in specific ethnic and racial communities may be shifting.

Poverty

The poverty data visualization allows for quick visualization of the different amounts of money received based on family/household size. Selecting the number of people in a family/household in the dropdown menu shows how much a family/household would have received over time. This data, combined with cost of living data, could potentially provide insight into the gap between how much aid families are receiving and what they actually need to get by.

Keeping Data Current, Relevant, and Accessible

HDC is thrilled that DHS is taking steps to make publicly available data more accessible. The launch of the interactive databook signals from DHS a commitment to improving data capacity and sharing, and ultimately providing the information that the greater community needs to make better decisions. DHS will continue to collect and curate data through their annual databook; in addition, DHS will also update the interactive databook every year in partnership with HDC. Many thanks to the team at DHS who made the interactive databook possible, particularly the staff in the Audit, Quality Control, and Research Office. We look forward to seeing how this new tool will be used!