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Summary

The Paid Transitional Housing pilot was a reentry housing program that fully covered rent at transitional housing facilities for a period of three months, targeting male adults who were entering reentry centers eight weeks from their release date and at higher recidivism risk.

The program aimed to improve housing stability, employment, and recidivism outcomes. All participants received existing transitional housing services at reentry centers focused on job readiness. Other voluntary services offered included classes on mental health, parenting, and financial management.

Eligible participants were males being released from an Arizona prison who were assessed as having moderate or high risk of recidivism and indicated as having a need for transitional housing. The program was implemented at one reentry center in Phoenix, AZ.

101047.01-Study of Paid Transi
Populations and employment barriers: Justice involvement
101047.02-Study of Paid Transi
Populations and employment barriers: Justice involvement

Implementation at a glance

Primary service
Housing supports and subsidies
Program services
Case management, Housing supports and subsidies, Soft skills training
Review services terms
Setting(s)
Urban only
Year evaluation began
2019
Implementing organization(s)Certified transitional housing facilities; a nonprofit organization that facilitated rent payments

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 Cannot assess support
Long-term Cannot assess support
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase employment Short-term Supported favorable 16% (in percentage points) 0.388 315
Long-term Cannot assess support
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term Cannot assess support
Long-term Cannot assess support
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase education and training All measurement periods Cannot assess support

Effectiveness ratings

  • Well- supported
  • Supported
  • Mixed support
  • Not supported
  • Insufficient evidence
  • Cannot assess support

Studies of this program

Study quality rating Study counts per rating
High High 2
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Program cost

No cost information available.

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Implementation details

Dates covered by study

Study participants were enrolled between October 2019 and May 2020. Study data collection occurred through June 2022, with outcomes measured over an average follow-up period of 18 months after release, ranging from 15 to 21 months.

Organizations implementing program

Re-entry transitional housing facilities in Phoenix, AZ implemented the program. Transitional housing facilities were certified through the Arizona Recovery Housing Association, though specific services vary by provider. A separate local nonprofit organization facilitated rent payments for the paid transitional housing program by directly paying the re-entry transitional housing provider after a placement was chosen.

Populations served

Study participants were formerly incarcerated men at reentry centers for men who were assessed as having a medium-to-high risk of recidivism and were within eight weeks of their scheduled release. The majority of participants were single (71 percent), and participants were an average of 39 years old. Forty percent of participants were White, 28 percent were Mexican American/National, and 24 percent were Black.

Description of services implemented

The program tested in the study paid for three months of transitional housing; study participants in the comparison group paid for transitional housing out-of-pocket. All participants received standard transitional housing services, including employment readiness services and offer of voluntary classes on mental health, parenting, and financial education.

Service intensity

The program provided three months of payments for transitional housing costs.

Comparison conditions

The comparison group was individuals entering the same reentry center who did not receive payments for transitional housing and covered the costs out-of-pocket.

Partnerships

The study did not identify any partners for implementing the program.

Staffing

The study did not describe program staffing.

Fidelity measures

The study did not describe measures of program fidelity.

Funding source

The study did not describe the program funding source.

The information contained here reflects how the program was implemented at the time of the evaluation.

Local context

The program was implemented at a reentry center in Phoenix, AZ.

Characteristics of research participants
Black or African American
24%
White
40%
Another race
1%
American Indian or Alaska Native
8%
Hispanic or Latino of any race
28%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

State(s) where implemented

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY Canada

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.