News from HUD User

PD&R UPDATES

22 September, 2025

Symposium articles include:

Family Self-Sufficiency Program Evaluation

John Gibbs frames the issue with a leadership message on the research findings and their implications.

Margaret M. Courtney and Regina C. Gray summarize the findings of HUD's Family Self-Sufficiency Program Evaluation.

Nandita Verma and Joshua Vermette share findings from the first national randomized controlled trial of the Family Self-Sufficiency program and assess how the program's services support the economic mobility of households receiving federal housing assistance.

Nina Castells, James Riccio, Quinn Moore, and April Wu provide a description and rationale behind the MyGoals for Employment Success program, a 3-year random assignment demonstration in Baltimore and Houston that combines executive skills coaching with financial incentives, and present emerging findings on the operation and effects mid-way through the participants' enrollment.

Naganika Sanga, Lesley Freiman, Judy Geyer, Hannah Thomas, and Jeffrey Lubell summarize evaluations of Family Self-Sufficiency programs coadministered by Compass Working Capital and discuss policy implications and areas for future research.

Reid Cramer and George Reuter present Compass Working Capital's unique FSS model, which integrates asset building with personal financing coaching to help participants strengthen financial security and achieve long-term goals.

Reid Cramer and Meaghan McCarthy assess the experience of the early adopters of the FSS program in the multifamily sector, describe distinct implementation dynamics between multifamily housing owners and PHAs, and present a set of emerging best practices that can maximize the program's impact. 

Arthur Acolin and Susan Wachter reflect on HUD's Family Self-Sufficiency program by outlining its objectives and evolution and highlighting lessons to strengthen its role in helping assisted households increase earnings, build savings, and achieve long-term economic security.

Barbara Sard discusses policy changes at the federal and local levels that could help more families in the Family Self-Sufficiency program realize their escrowed savings, while also considering alternatives to expand asset-building opportunities within HUD's rental assistance programs.

Jeffrey Lubell reflects on recent HUD-sponsored research and practitioner experiences with the Family Self-Sufficiency program and highlights how the symposium offers new insights that can strengthen program implementation and outcomes.

Refereed Papers

Scarcity, Boundedness, and Discretion: A Mixed-Methods Effort to Identify Administrative Burdens in Public Housing by Weston Merrick

Articles in Cityscape's regularly appearing departments include:

Affordable Design: Historic Preservation and Affordable Housing by Heidi J. Joseph

Data Shop: Mapping Manufactured Housing Nationwide by Noah J. Durst, Nithya Mylakumar, Angela Perez, and Angelica Gacis

Foreign Exchange: Real Estate Investors and Housing Policy: A Dutch Perspective by Matthijs Korevaar

Graphic Detail: Visualizing Exposure of Children to Violent Crime in Washington, D.C. by Brent D. Mast and Tricia Ruiz

How the Height of Buildings Act Impacts Development in Washington, D.C. by Kenan Dogan

Industrial Revolution: Challenges to Offsite Construction Due to Jurisdictional Regulations by Chinonso Maduka, Somik Ghosh, and Ben F. Bigelow