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Summary

The Compass Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program aimed to help Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) recipients progress toward economic security by offering incentives for setting and attaining financial goals and maintaining employment.

The Compass FSS program provided one-on-one financial coaching to help HCV recipients make progress toward their self-identified financial goals, which could include paying down debt, increasing savings, or improving credit scores. The program also created an incentive for participants to meet their goals. When families with HCVs received an increase in earnings, they were required to pay 30 percent of that increase toward rent. The FSS program credited these additional rent payments toward an escrow account that the participant could receive in full after meeting certain conditions. The conditions were that (1) the participant was employed, (2) all household members were free of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families support for at least 12 months, and (3) the participant met the goals that they had set with their coach. Participants were involved with the program for one to six years.

This program was operated at public housing agencies in Lynn, MA, and Cambridge, MA.

25852-Evaluation of the Co
Populations and employment barriers: Public benefits recipients, Parents

Implementation at a glance

Primary service
Housing supports and subsidies
Program services
Case management, Housing supports and subsidies
Review services terms
Setting(s)
Urban only
Year evaluation began
2011
Implementing organization(s)Compass Working Group

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
Low Low 1
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Program cost

No cost information available.

Cost results

Estimate (in 2024 dollars) Quality of cost analysis that produced the estimate
Total program cost, per participant $11,230
Good quality
Net benefit to participants, per participant $13,488
Good quality

Cost information

How much did the program cost per participant?

The average total program cost per participant was $11,230 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). This study received a rating of Good quality for the cost analysis.

How much did the program cost relative to the benefits it generated?

A cost-benefit analysis was conducted in the cost study reviewed, receiving a rating of Good quality. The net benefit to participants was $13,488 per participant in 2024 dollars. This means that the net program benefit to participants (difference in benefits between the program and comparison group) was $13,488 more than the net cost of the program to participants. The estimate is expressed as the net present value, which accounts for differences in the timing of when benefits and costs occurred. In addition, the net benefit to government was -$360 per participant in 2024 dollars. 

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.

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Implementation details

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

Local context

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.