This year, a generous Compass donor came to us wanting to provide direct support to women and families in Boston. Working together, our team helped identify back-rent debt as a critical issue for families in our program, and that insight shaped a fund that provided more than $1,600 each in direct financial assistance to 11 Compass participants. This assistance complemented the coaching our team provides, and together, gave families the stability to avoid eviction and keep building toward financial security.

Rising housing costs are putting real pressure on families across the country. Nearly half of U.S. renters are rent burdened, and in Boston alone more than 71,000 households with low incomes are feeling that strain. When back-rent debt accumulates, it can undo years of hard-won asset-building progress and put families at real risk of eviction. In moments like these, the right support at the right time can make all the difference.

We're grateful for this donor's generosity, and for their openness to shaping this fund alongside our team's insight into what families needed most. For the 11 families who navigated these challenges, the result speaks for itself: stability intact, debts addressed, and goals back within reach.