Algorithm-Based Strategy Shows Promise in Reducing Urban Poverty

Algorithm-Based Strategy Shows Promise in Reducing Urban Poverty

Aid organizations struggled to identify vulnerable households during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving many in need behind.

Woojin Jung, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Social Work, has developed a method to predict urban poverty by combining sociodemographic data, household surveys, community perceptions, and satellite imagery.

“Existing approaches don’t always work during shocks or rapid changes,” Jung said. “We wanted to find a way to identify vulnerable households at speed and scale in urban settings.”

The findings are published in the journal Sustainable Cities and Society, highlighting a new approach to aid targeting.

Conventional methods rely on analyzing household demographic data, but Jung's team aimed to improve this process.

Author's summary: Algorithm helps reduce urban poverty.

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Rutgers University Rutgers University — 2025-10-28

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