Thisarticle desribes a study that explores the use of the Next Step Tool for homeless youth, what the data say about its effectiveness at recommending specific housing placements for young people with a specific range of scores, and about the impact of homelessness on their trajectories over a period of two years. The paper takes advantage of the 11,000+ records of young people using this tool (currently the most popular) and offers insights into the tool itself as well as the results from housing placements for young people with different levels of vulnerability (do its housing recommendations appear to match outcomes). It does not make a recommendation for communities about whether they should use this or other tools. (author abstract modified)