Eligible families had spent at least one week in an emergency homeless shelter, had at least one child age 15 or younger, and had sufficient income to pay their share of rent or had the ability to seek employment. They received subsidized housing in agency-controlled housing units, along with intensive case management. Families paid 30 percent of their unadjusted monthly income toward housing costs. Case management services provided by PBTH were mainly intended to help families find permanent housing but included financial management, help coordinating public benefits, and employment and training services. PBTH programs provided 6 to 24 months of housing assistance along with case management. The program 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. The evaluation also examined PBTH as compared with a Permanent Housing Subsidy (SUB) and PBTH as compared with Community-Based Rapid Rehousing (CBRR).
Summary
Project-Based Transitional Housing (PBTH) was a housing initiative that gave families temporary, subsidized housing and case management, with the goal of helping them obtain permanent housing.
Effectiveness rating and effect by outcome domain
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| Outcome domain | Term | Effectiveness rating | Effect in 2024 dollars and percentages | Effect in standard deviations | Sample size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase earnings | Short-term |  |
|||
| Long-term | 
|
$3,244 per year
|
0.089 | 663 | |
| Very long-term | |
||||
| Increase employment | Short-term | |
|||
| Long-term |
|
-1% (in percentage points)
|
-0.023 | 663 | |
| Very long-term | |
||||
| Decrease benefit receipt | Short-term | |
|||
| Long-term |
|
$-17 per year
|
-0.005 | 552 | |
| Very long-term | |
||||
| Increase education and training | All measurement periods | |
Studies of this program
| Study quality rating | Study counts per rating |
|---|---|
 High
|
1 |
Program cost
No cost information available.
Cost results
| Estimate (in 2024 dollars) | Quality of cost analysis that produced the estimate | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly program cost, per participant * | $3,595 |
Good quality
|
* See below for further details on the cost analysis.
Cost information
How much did the program cost per participant?
The average monthly program cost per participant was $3,595 in 2024 dollars. This figure is based on cost information for this program reported in one cost study reviewed by Pathways to Work (for details, see the FAQ). The study reported an average cost per participant of $3,595 per month of use and reported a mean of 14.5 months of use over the study period. This implied an average total program cost per participant of $52,128 in 2024 dollars over the 37-month study period. This study received a rating of Good quality for the cost analysis.
Cost information is not directly comparable across programs due to differences in the categories of costs reported and program length. Cost information is not an official price tag or guarantee.
Implementation details
State(s) where implemented
Pathways to Work refers to programs by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some program names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.