SUB provided permanent assistance with housing rental costs through state or local public housing agencies. As long as families had at least one child age 15 or younger, met low-income criteria, had no drug-related convictions, and paid rent on time, they could continue to receive a housing subsidy indefinitely. Housing subsidies were typically provided as a housing choice voucher, which participants could use to rent housing that met the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Quality Standards, and that had a rent that was deemed reasonable based on rental costs for comparable homes in a given housing market. The local public housing agency set housing choice voucher amounts, and if rental costs exceeded this limit, families were required to pay up to 30 percent of their unadjusted monthly income toward rental costs. The primary population for the subsides was families who spent at least seven days in an emergency homeless shelter and had at least one child age 15 or younger. The study took place in 12 locations in the United States: Alameda County, CA; Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Connecticut; Denver, CO; Honolulu, HI; Kansas City, MO; Louisville, KY; Minneapolis, MN; Phoenix, AZ; and Salt Lake City, UT. This evaluation also examined SUB compared with Community-Based Rapid Rehousing and Project-Based Transitional Housing.
Summary
SUB aimed to provide housing stability for families as a means to improving their economic outcomes.
Effectiveness rating and effect by outcome domain
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| Outcome domain | Term | Effectiveness rating | Effect in 2018 dollars and percentages | Effect in standard deviations | Sample size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase earnings | Short-term |  |
|||
| Long-term | 
|
$230 per year
|
0.011 | 1096 | |
| Very long-term | |
||||
| Increase employment | Short-term | |
|||
| Long-term |
|
-3% (in percentage points)
|
-0.085 | 1096 | |
| Very long-term | |
||||
| Decrease benefit receipt | Short-term | |
|||
| Long-term | |
||||
| Very long-term | |
||||
| Increase education and training | All measurement periods | |
Effectiveness rating key:
-
Well-supported
-
Supported
-
Not supported
-
Mixed support
-
Insufficient evidence
-
No evidence
Studies of this intervention
| Study quality rating | Study counts per rating |
|---|---|
 High
|
1 |
Implementation details
Cost information
The average cost per participant was $44,395 in 2018 dollars.
This figure is based on cost information reported by authors of the study or studies the Pathways Clearinghouse reviewed for this intervention. The Pathways Clearinghouse converted that information to a single amount expressed in 2018 dollars; for details, see the FAQ. Where there are multiple studies of an intervention rated high or moderate quality, the Pathways Clearinghouse computed the average of costs reported across those studies.
Cost information is not directly comparable across interventions due to differences in the categories of costs reported and the amount of time interventions lasted. Cost information is not an official price tag or guarantee.
State(s) where implemented
The Pathways Clearinghouse refers to interventions by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some intervention names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.