Housing & Community Development

Programs and policies that help people get good jobs, build savings, and access homeownership improve their financial wellbeing. Such policies also align with current federal efforts to improve affordability and strengthen household balance sheets. Abt helps federal, state, and local partners use data and practical implementation support to improve how financial education and coaching perform in the real world. We design and evaluate programs, strengthen delivery systems, and develop tools that help agencies and providers measure outcomes, reduce administrative burden, and focus resources where they have the greatest impact. Our work spans the full continuum of financial well-being services, from young people seeking budgetary and savings guidance to older adults navigating retirement on fixed incomes. We advance evidence-informed strategies that are scalable, practical to implement, and designed for long-term sustainability.

Communities are under growing pressure to address unsheltered homelessness in ways that improve access to services and housing, public safety, and measurable results. Abt’s decades of research and technical expertise on homelessness enables us to offer our clients solutions that emphasize accountability, performance, and effective client pathways alongside best practices for addressing encampments. Abt helps federal, state, and local partners strengthen homelessness response systems with rigorous research, impactful technical assistance, and data tools that support sound decision-making. We produce national and local estimates of homelessness, evaluate what works and what it costs, and help agencies and providers improve program delivery—from outreach and shelter operations to rehousing and stabilization. Our focus is practical implementation: well-coordinated homelessness response systems, quality data, strong accountability, and demonstrable outcomes.

Housing costs are rising because supply has not kept pace with demand. Current federal, state, and local priorities emphasize expanding housing supply, reducing barriers to production, lowering costs, and unlocking homeownership—while protecting taxpayer dollars and improving program performance. Abt helps public agencies and partners move from diagnosis to delivery by combining rigorous evidence, practical tools, and implementation support. We support strategies that accelerate permitting and development timelines, remove barriers to new starter homes, improve capital stack efficiency, strengthen local housing plans, and ensure subsidy programs operate effectively and transparently. Our work spans research and evaluation, policy and regulatory support, technical assistance, and data systems—so communities can scale what works and deliver more homes, faster.