Earlier this fall Compass announced the first two reports in a series of studies on the impact of our FSS programs. Today, we’re excited to share the latest in our on-going research series conducted by Abt Associates that analyzes the impact of our FSS programs run in partnership with private property owners. This is the first study of it’s kind for FSS programs run with private, multifamily housing providers.
In 2016, Compass entered a partnership with the Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), a nonprofit housing provider, to offer our model for the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program to POAH residents - one of the first partnerships of its kind in the country. This study finds that after 2.5 years in the program, program participants:
Increased their annual income by $1,933 - a 17% increase compared to matched peers
Reduced their income from public benefits by $343 - a 99% decrease compared to matched peers
These promising early findings build confidence that we can achieve FSS program outcomes with private owners that are similar to the strong outcomes seen in our partnerships with public housing authorities.
Private owners have only become eligible to offer FSS to residents in the last 5 years; the study bolsters the case for more owners to offer the program to help residents increase their earnings and build financial security.
Special thanks to our partners at POAH and to the funders that supported this research. You can read more about this series of research from Abt Associates by clicking here.