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New Report Evaluates Family Self-Sufficiency Program

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19 April 2011    
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New Report Evaluates Family Self-Sufficiency Program

Evaluation of the Family Self-Sufficiency Program: Prospective StudyEstablished in 1990, the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program is designed to help public housing residents and Housing Choice Voucher program participants become self-sufficient, via individualized case management, education, training, and other support services. An important component of FSS is the opportunity to accrue savings, as income gains are made, with an interest-earning escrow account. A new study of the program’s impact, Evaluation of the Family Self-Sufficiency Program: Prospective Study, assesses the experiences of a representative sample of FSS participants who enrolled in 2005 and 2006, and whose program activity was tracked until the end of September 2009.

The evaluation examined program operations, services, and participant outcomes, and it explored possible relationships between participant characteristics, program features, and program outcomes. The study suggests that (1) FSS offers an opportunity for substantial savings accrual for program graduates, and (2) learning more about the differences between program graduates and early exiters may help program administrators better target FSS services and improve retention and savings rates.

Evaluation of the Family Self-Sufficiency Program: Prospective Study
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Key Findings

  • The average FSS enrollee was 34 and female with an annual income of $16,030, including public benefits and some employment earnings.


  • By the end of the study period, 24% of the group had graduated from FSS, 37% had left prior to completion, and 39% were still enrolled.


  • 85% of those who remained enrolled had positive escrow account balances; the average savings balance was $3,500.


  • FSS graduates had higher incomes while enrolled, and were more likely than other exiters to be employed at enrollment and during their tenure with the program. Graduates also had more education and were in the program for a longer period.


  • A high school or equivalent education near the point of enrollment doubles the likelihood of FSS graduation and increases employment opportunity.


  • Of those who left FSS prior to completion, about half were dropped due to noncompliance with rules or losing their voucher assistance. Those who voluntarily exited early did so for family or work reasons, or due to other changes in their circumstances.


  • Case managers of participants provided experience (averaging six years in the FSS program) and stability, in that most participants had the same case manager throughout the study period.


  • Case managers helped to develop individualized plans, made referrals for supportive services, and often offered homeownership counseling and financial literacy training.


  • Caseloads ranged from 21 to 175 cases, with an average of 89. Managers usually met with participants quarterly, but the frequency of these meetings declined as caseloads grew.


  • FSS programs demonstrated some flexibility in response to changes in economic conditions; for example, by shifting from emphasis on immediate employment to education and training in response to labor market conditions.


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