American Economic Journal:
Economic Policy
ISSN 1945-7731 (Print) | ISSN 1945-774X (Online)
Fighting Poverty One Family at a Time: Experimental Evidence from an Intervention with Holistic, Individualized, Wraparound Services
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
vol. 17,
no. 1, February 2025
(pp. 311–61)
Abstract
Families in poverty face numerous barriers to establishing stable economic footing. This paper estimates experimental effects of a holistic, individualized wraparound service intervention for low-income individuals. The intervention includes a detailed assessment, an individualized service plan, intensive case management administered by a two-person team with small caseloads, and strategic financial assistance. The program improved employment and housing outcomes two years postenrollment. Given the customized nature of the services, overall program effects mask heterogeneity. Exploratory analysis suggests that the program helped employ participants who lacked employment but had stable housing and that those without stable housing were helped in securing it.Citation
Evans, William N., Shawna Kolka, James X. Sullivan, and Patrick S. Turner. 2025. "Fighting Poverty One Family at a Time: Experimental Evidence from an Intervention with Holistic, Individualized, Wraparound Services." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 17 (1): 311–61. DOI: 10.1257/pol.20200716Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I32 Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
- I38 Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
- L31 Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship
- R23 Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics: Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population; Neighborhood Characteristics
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