Project Ease: A Pilot Study of an Integrated Cash Transfer Rapid Rehousing Approach with Families

Background and Purpose: Unconditional cash transfers have the potential to significantly impact the quality of families living in poverty, including physical health outcomes, education outcomes, family stress, and parenting. A nonprofit homeless services agency in a large urban setting integrated an unconditional cash transfer program component with an existing program offering case management programming and rapid re-housing for families who have experienced non-chronic homelessness. Based on prior literature, families were given an amount monthly or in lump sum (if it affected benefits) based on family size at enrollment. A pilot study was conducted utilizing a university-community agency partnership to assess Project EASE.

Methods: Data were collected using a mixed-methods design to assess feasibility, acceptability, and potential promise of the cash transfer component as a part of the larger Project EASE program. Qualitative interviews with program clients informed the planning of this component, and the evaluation of its impact after one year. A one-group design was used to collect participant responses to the Self-Sufficiency Matrix at baseline, 6-months, and 12-month assessment. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with each head of household (N=47) enrolled in Project EASE at the conclusion of the program and were transcribed verbatim and coded using Dedoose. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze quantitative data, while thematic analysis and multiple coders were used to analyze qualitative data.

Results: Families enrolled in Project EASE (N=47) received an average of $3,016.30 (SD = $1,104.49) during the year enrolled. Outcomes measured using the SSM changed significantly over time in the desired direction for those receiving the Project EASE program, with a strong effect size [F (2, 31) = 65.94, p<.001, n_p² = .81]. There were significant differences (p<.001) between each data point with an average per-item score of 2.62 (SD= .44) at baseline, 3.17 (SD = .49) at six months, and 3.37 (SD = .45) at 12 months. Qualitative themes suggest the cash transfer eased stress for the families in various ways, including helping families to secure transportation, pay utility bills, and provide meaningful gifts and experiences for children. Triangulation was present between qualitative and quantitative measures, and these results complemented and expanded the breadth of the findings.

Conclusions and Implications: Project EASE, a rapid rehousing support program with a cash transfer component, was informed by client input and existing research. This integrated approach was feasible, acceptable, and promising for improving family well-being across multiple domains and reducing parental stress. These findings support the possibility of scaling up and extending this program, as well as the potential for future research examining the efficacy of such efforts.