COMPASS WORKING CAPITAL INC

FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY (FSS) PROGRAM:SINCE 2010, COMPASS WORKING CAPITAL ("COMPASS") HAS PARTNERED WITH PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES AND PRIVATE OWNERS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN ASSET-BUILDING AND FINANCIAL CAPABILITY MODEL FOR THE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY ("FSS") PROGRAM, A HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED SAVINGS AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM OVERSEEN BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT ("HUD"). CONGRESS ESTABLISHED THE FSS PROGRAM IN 1990 AS AN EMPLOYMENT AND SAVINGS PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTS OF FEDERALLY SUBSIDIZED HOUSING. FAMILIES RECEIVING THIS ASSISTANCE TYPICALLY PAY 30% OF THEIR INCOME TOWARDS RENT. THIS STRUCTURE INADVERTENTLY DISCOURAGES SOME RESIDENTS FROM INCREASING THEIR WORK HOURS AND EARNINGS SINCE THEY WORRY ABOUT PAYING MORE RENT AND LOSING OTHER BENEFITS IF THEIR INCOME INCREASES. THE FSS MODEL REMOVES THIS DISINCENTIVE BY ALLOWING PARTICIPANTS TO CAPTURE THEIR INCREASED RENT PAYMENTS IN A SAVINGS ACCOUNT, HELD BY THE HOUSING PROVIDER, WHICH CAN BE ACCESSED UPON COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM. PARTICIPANTS CAN UTILIZE THEIR SAVINGS TO ACHIEVE THEIR FINANCIAL GOALS. THE COMPASS FSS MODEL INTEGRATES FINANCIAL COACHING AND OTHER ASSET BUILDING STRATEGIES INTO THE FSS PROGRAM, WITH THE GOAL OF PROMOTING ECONOMIC MOBILITY AND FINANCIAL SECURITY FOR PARTICIPATING FAMILIES. THE FIRST MODEL OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY, THE COMPASS FSS PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY OFFERED THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES AND NONPROFIT HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS, PENNSYLVANIA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, FLORIDA, ILLINOIS, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, RHODE ISLAND, VIRGINIA, AND WASHINGTON DC. THE COMPASS FSS PROGRAM HAS ATTRACTED LOCAL AND NATIONAL ATTENTION AS A SCALABLE, HOUSING-BASED MODEL TO SUPPORT FAMILIES WITH LOW INCOMES TO BUILD ASSETS, ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS, AND BECOME MORE FINANCIALLY SECURE.

NATIONAL FIELD-BUILDING, TRAINING, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:THE FSS PROGRAM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REACH AN ESTIMATED 2.2 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS NATIONALLY, YET ONLY A TINY SUBSET LESS THAN 3% OF ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS ARE CURRENTLY ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PROGRAM. SINCE 2016, COMPASS HAS ALSO WORKED TO BUILD THE FIELD OF FSS PRACTITIONERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS NATIONALLY AND SHARE OUT OUR BEST PRACTICES TO EXPAND THE SCOPE AND IMPACT OF FSS. CURRENTLY, THE ORGANIZATION MANAGES AN ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM AND COMMUNITY CALLED FSS LINK, WHICH PROVIDES FSS PRACTITIONERS WITH ACCESS TO RESOURCES FOR FSS PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL COACHING, TRAINING, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH OTHER FSS PRACTITIONERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. COMPASS ALSO PROVIDES TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON ITS MODEL FOR THE FSS PROGRAM TO HOUSING PROVIDERS WHO WANT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THEIR EXISTING PROGRAMS OR LAUNCH NEW ONES. COMPASS ALSO HOSTS A BIENNIAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE FSS PROGRAM.