ARI & Beacom Research Findings 

Kid Link Terry Redlin

This report summarizes research conducted to inform the expansion of Sioux Falls Thrive’s Kid Link Initiative to the neighborhoods around Terry Redlin Elementary.

Food Security & Food Access in Sioux Falls (2022)

• Interactive Map

This report is an update to the 2018 “Food Security & Food Systems in Sioux Falls, SD” report by the Augustana Research Institute for Sioux Falls Thrive. It presents the results of updated demographic analysis and identifies Census tracts in Sioux Falls that meet the criteria for low‐income, low‐access areas, commonly referred to as food deserts. It also presents results from a food availability and price survey of 151 retail stores conducted from March 27, through May 7, 2022.

2021 Sioux Falls Housing Needs Assessment

This report is a 5-year update to ARI's 2016 housing needs assessment for Sioux Falls. Commissioned by the City of Sioux Falls, this report provides updated information about population patterns, housing needs, and recommendations for meeting housing needs.

Kid Link Riverside

This report summarizes research conducted to inform the development of Sioux Falls Thrive’s Kid Link Riverside Initiative, which is intended to support children attending Laura B. Anderson Elementary (LBA).

OneRoof Pilot Program

This report presents the results of an evaluation of the OneRoof pilot program. OneRoof is a housing program developed by the Thrive Housing Action Team and the Community Outreach. The program helps families secure housing and resolve financial instability by pairing them with a Genesis mentor (a Community Outreach mentoring program) and offering property owners access to a rent and damage guarantee to cover OneRoof participants.

Mentoring Inventory and Assessment - Rotary Club of Downtown Sioux Falls

This report presents the findings of an inventory and assessment of mentoring programs in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The report was commissioned by the Rotary Club of Downtown Sioux Falls and conducted in November and December of 2019.

Community Collaboration to Confront Homelessness

This report presents the results of a study commissioned by Minnehaha County and the City of Sioux Falls to provide information necessary to define the mission and vision of the Homeless Advisory Board (HAB) and to identify key research questions and ongoing needs for data tracking and analysis.

Thrive 2018 Food Security Report

This report documents retail and charitable food assets available in the Sioux Falls community — particularly those serving school-age children and their families — and it describes the ways in which Sioux Falls residents experience food insecurity.

Bright Futures 2018 Program Evaluation

The Bright Futures program is a transitional housing program for homeless families with children and is a joint effort of Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership (ICAP), Sioux Falls Community Development (City of Sioux Falls) and the Sioux Falls Housing and Redevelopment Commission.

Sioux Falls Student Safety and Out-of-School Time

Student Safety and Out-of-School Time (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) is a study commissioned by Sioux Falls Thrive and conducted by the Augustana Research Institute (ARI).

Sioux Falls Affordable Housing Needs Assessment 2016

Augustana Research Institute Conducts Sioux Falls Housing Study

Housing Need Projections: 2023-28

This report presents an update to the 2021 comprehensive housing needs assessment that ARI prepared for the City of Sioux Falls. The 2021 needs assessment identified housing gaps that were widest among the city’s lowest income households, those with household incomes below 30% of the area median family income (AMI). The updates presented in the current report provide additional detail about the housing gap, including estimates of current and projected housing unit gaps broken down by AMI level and unit size (bedrooms).

Promising & Best Practices in School-Based Drug Prevention: Evaluation of the Emily’s Hope Pilot Curriculum (April 2024)

This report presents the results of an evaluation of the pilot of Emily's Hope elementary school-based drug prevention curriculum. The report also provides an overview of promising and best practices for designing and implementing drug prevention programs.

Language Access in Sioux Falls (December 2023)

The intent of this report is to identify where multilingual individuals face language barriers among community organizations and government entities in Sioux Falls. This research hopes to provide data that will allow South Dakota Voices for Peace to have a data-driven conversation about the degree and quality of language access in our community.

Mental Health Needs Assessment of Sioux Falls  (January 2023)

Mental Health Needs Assessment of Sioux Falls (Español)

This report presents the results of a study of mental health needs in the Sioux Falls area. Researchers compiled existing data and conducted focus groups and interviews with 89 individuals (both service providers and community members). The purpose of the report is to better understand perceived strengths, barriers and challenges to accessing mental health care.

Sioux Falls Civic Engagement & Voter Registration (May 2022)

• Slide Presentation
• Census Tract Maps of Demographics and Voter Activity 
• Precinct Maps of Voter Registration and Activity

This report summarizes measures of civic engagement in Sioux Falls and discusses the connection between civic engagement and voter participation. It includes an analysis of voter registration and participation in Sioux Falls by voting precinct and Census tract, and it compares Census tract demographics with voter activity.

Expensive & Inaccessible — Childcare in Sioux Falls (August 2021)

This report examines the gap between demand and supply for childcare in Sioux Falls. It summarizes findings from a survey of providers and business representatives about barriers to expanding and accessing childcare, and it estimates the effects on workforce of limited access to childcare.