What Interventions Work Best for Families Who Experience Homelessness? Impact Estimates from the Family Options Study

Abstract

What housing and service interventions work best to reduce homelessness for families in the United States? The Family Options Study randomly assigned 2,282 families recruited in homeless shelters across 12 sites to priority access to one of three active interventions or to usual care in their communities. The interventions were long-term rent subsidies, short-term rent subsidies, and transitional housing in supervised programs with intensive psychosocial services. In two waves of follow-up data collected 20and 37 months later, priority access to long-term rent subsidies reduced homelessness sand food insecurity and improved other aspects of adult and child well-being relative to usual care, at a cost 9 percent higher. The other interventions had little effect. The study provides support for the view that homelessness for most families is an economic problem that long-term rent subsidies resolve and does not support the view that families must address psychosocial problems to succeed in housing. It has implications for focusing government resources on this important social problem.

Figures

Figure 1

Cumulative Costs of Program Usage Over 37 Months for Each Housing Intervention Assignment Compared to Usual Care Condition (Stacked Bars). Sources: Family Options Study cost data and program use data. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Public and Indian Housing Information Center, Tenant Rental Assistance Certification System, and Financial Data Schedule records. Notes: “Housing choice vouchers +” assistance is housing choice vouchers plus site-specific programs offered to families assigned to LTRS group in Connecticut and Honolulu. Other long-term rent subsidies include permanent supportive housing, public housing, and project-based vouchers/Section 8 projects. Bars represent cost of all program use from random assignment to the month of the 37-month follow-up survey response for an average family in the assignment group within the pairwise comparison (in the 37-month respondent sample). Dollar figures are weighted for survey nonresponse to represent full comparison sample. Cost estimates assume a site-specific average cost per month based on the Family Options Study cost data and HUD administrative data. All costs measured in 2013 dollars.