Authors
Judy Geyer, Samuel Dastrup, Lesley Freiman, Jeffrey Lubell, Micah Villarreal, and Daniel Weiss, Abt Global
These reports summarize the findings of Abt’s 2017 evaluations of impacts and net monetary benefits associated with innovative implementations of the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program, which emphasize financial capability.
A Graphics-based Summary of Evaluation Findings
Evaluation of the Compass Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Programs Administered in Partnership with Public Housing Agencies in Lynn and Cambridge, Massachusetts (2017)
This report includes a quasi-experimental evaluation of the impacts of the Compass FSS programs in Cambridge and Lynn, Mass., public housing agencies on earnings and the receipt of public benefits. The report also includes a benchmarked analysis of participants’ credit and debt outcomes compared to a group of consumers with similar characteristics. Abt found that participants in the Compass FSS programs earned more on average and received less in cash public assistance payments than their matched peers. Participants saw meaningful gains in credit score and reductions in high-interest debt compared to the comparison group.
Interim Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Compass Family Self-Sufficiency Program (2017)
We found a strong net benefit per participant associated with enrollment in Compass FSS programs, compared to the matched comparison group, taking into account net costs and benefits realized by the government and program providers as well as the Compass FSS participants.