SAHF and its members have long recognized the value of quality affordable rental homes, especially when enriched with services, in supporting health and wellness, economic mobility, increased opportunity and an improved quality of life for residents. In late 2013, with support from the Kresge Foundation, SAHF launched its Outcomes Initiative – a collaborative effort of the SAHF members to establish and utilize indicators related to resident outcomes. Building to Impact presents data from SAHF members as part of the first stage of the Outcomes Initiative.
Already, some evidence links service-enriched housing to improved outcomes for residents, including increases in income, assets, and rates of homeownership. A sense of safety and civic participation are also on the rise at some SAHF properties. Other data illustrates challenges and provides a baseline for measuring future growth. As a result of the initiative, many SAHF members now conduct more comprehensive data collection and analysis and find that it enables them to deliver better, more cost-effective programs. The indicator framework has also served as the basis for the Strong Families Fund, a Low Income Housing Tax Credit Syndication Fund offered by SAHF’s affiliate, the National Affordable Housing Trust (NAHT), with support from the Kresge Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and with Goldman Sachs as an investor.
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Building to Impact: A Data-Based Narrative Supporting Housing as a Platform