The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program is HUD’s flagship initiative for helping households receiving federal assistance increase their earnings and make progress toward economic self-sufficiency. In 2012, HUD commissioned a national random assignment evaluation of the FSS program’s impacts on labor market and other quality of life outcomes for households receiving Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs). FSS has two key components: case managers who work with participant households to develop individualized self-sufficiency plans and to access other community services, and savings and asset development via interest-bearing escrow accounts based on increases in earnings.

Eighteen housing agencies in 7 states participated in the national evaluation, enrolling 2,656 voucher households into the study. This report serves as the final report for the evaluation and presents findings on outcomes for study participants 6 to 7 years after they were randomly assigned to an FSS group, whose members were eligible to participate in FSS, and to a control group, whose members were not eligible to participate in the program for three years. Prior to the release of the upcoming report, HUD published a baseline report, an interim report following three years post random assignment, and a report that covers the first five years of FSS participation. All previous reports, along with related studies, are accessible on the Family Self-Sufficiency Evaluation homepage on the HUDUser site: National Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Evaluation | HUD USER

The findings of this final report are consistent with those of the five-year outcomes report published in 2023: FSS moderately increased use of self-sufficiency services and enabled some participants to accrue savings, but did not result in statistically significant differences in employment or income among participants when compared to a control group. The study’s observation period ended in 2021, a year before the publication of HUD’s Final Rule for the FSS program, which changed several key program requirements with respect to FSS graduation and escrow disbursement. As a result, the study does not measure the effect of these program changes.

Download Final Report on Program Effects and Lessons from the Family Self-Sufficiency Program Evaluation Appendixes