Conducting Research and Evaluation in a Rapidly Changing Sociopolitical Climate: The Case of the Emergency Housing Voucher Program

The sociopolitical climate of the United States has been in flux over the past few years, contributing to disruptions in personal and professional life. The number of federal policies that have been modified or eliminated has been dizzying and destructive to social service programs, and also has led to logistical and ethical challenges when conducting research and evaluation. Sarah Fleming, assistant professor of social work at Luther College, and Kristie A. Thomas, professor and associate dean for academic affairs at Simmons University School of Social Work, will discuss these challenges as they relate to their role as evaluators of a large-scale social service program called the Emergency Housing Voucher Aftercare (EHVA) Program for survivors of intimate partner violence. They will also discuss strategies to address these and other challenges that scholars may encounter in their work. Sarah Fleming, MSW, LMSW, is a macro-practice social work practitioner and educator, as well as a Ph.D. student at the Simmons University School of Social Work. Her research focuses on support services for survivors of intimate partner violence in urban and rural contexts. Kristie A. Thomas, PhD, MSW, has extensive practice, teaching, and research expertise in the field of anti-violence. Her work is focused on developing solutions to improve outcomes for people affected by intimate partner violence – particularly those who are economically and socially marginalized. Professor Fleming’s work on this project during the summer of 2026 was funded in part by the Doris and Ragnvald Ylvisaker Endowment for Faculty Growth.