Two New Reports Demonstrate the Impact of Resident Services

In March, 2026 SAHF released new findings from Abt Global’s research, The Impact of Resident Services on Property Financial Performance, showing that service‑enriched properties generate 26 percent higher Net Operating Income (NOI) – nearly $1,200 more per unit annually – than comparable properties without resident services.  

The study uses 2015-2019 data, from 248 properties across 19 diverse housing organizations, to normalize for covid-era one-time infusions of public funds, which would artificially inflate property NOI. Findings link resident services to material NOI gains, a key indicator of property health used in underwriting, asset management, and investment decisions. For every $100 invested in resident services, properties realize $259 in additional NOI and $397 in total revenue the following year, underscoring the strong financial return on these investments. 

The Abt Global study also shows that resident services strengthen asset performance and support long‑term portfolio health. Evidence from the research supports incorporating resident services as eligible operating costs in development pro-formas, underwriting standards, and ongoing property budgets as well as scoring incentives in state Qualified Allocation Plans, rather than treating them as value-added enhancements.  

The Case for Resident Services report provides complementary post‑COVID data from SAHF’s members - a collaborative of 13 affordable housing developers – and shows that resident services coordination is strongly associated with improved housing stability, financial resilience, and health outcomes.  

Properties with resident services demonstrate lower rates and amounts of rent arrears across most subsidy types, income levels, age groups, and geographies, with households at these properties experiencing 24 percent lower arrears rates at both the $100 and $500 thresholds than households in properties without services. Additionally, eviction‑related moveouts are dramatically lower, with just 1.2 eviction‑related moveouts per 100 households in service‑enriched SAHF properties compared with 7.3 eviction filings per 100 renters nationally. 

• The Impact of Resident Services on Property Financial Performance (Full Report)
• The Impact of Resident Services on Property Financial Performance (Brief)
• The Case for Resident Services (Full Report)
• The Case for Resident Services (Brief)
• Full Press Release (LINK)