TUCSON, Ariz.– Tucson Federal Credit Union (TFCU), in partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco), has secured a $152,000 Access to Housing and Economic Assistance for Development (AHEAD) Program grant for Compass Affordable Housing, Inc.
The funding will support the organization’s CompassWorks Social Enterprise project in Tucson.
As an FHLBank San Francisco member institution, TFCU sponsored the grant application on Compass Affordable Housing’s behalf. The award is part of FHLBank San Francisco’s 2026 AHEAD Program, which awarded a record $10 million to 72 economic development projects across Arizona, California, and Nevada, a 25% increase over 2025. Collectively, the funded projects are expected to create or retain an estimated 2,675 jobs.
CompassWorks, the new social enterprise of Compass Affordable Housing, connects stable housing with meaningful employment through paid, hands-on housekeeping and custodial training, financial coaching, case management, and work experience, strengthening the employment pathway within the organization’s Human Development Ecosystem. In Year One, CompassWorks is designed to serve 16 trainees across four cohorts, with goals of 75% employed at six months, 80% increasing earned income, 75% completing competency certification, and 90% remaining stably housed at 12 months.
“Tucson Federal Credit Union exists to empower people and improve lives in our community, and a stable home is where so much of that hope begins,” stated TFCU CEO and President Matthew Gaspari. “Compass Affordable Housing has done extraordinary work for decades helping Tucsonans move from housing insecurity to economic stability. We are honored to put the strength of our cooperative behind CompassWorks and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them in this vital mission.”
“Housing creates the foundation for stability; CompassWorks creates the opportunity to build from it,” said Tony Simms, Ph.D., CEO of Compass Affordable Housing. “With partners like Tucson Federal Credit Union investing alongside us, we can connect housing, employment, and financial capability to help people move toward lasting self-sufficiency.”
Alyssa Giroux, Director of Social Enterprise at Compass Affordable Housing, added, “CompassWorks is about turning opportunity into momentum: giving people the chance to earn, learn, build a work history, and take the next step toward the future they are working to create.”
AHEAD grants strengthen partnerships between FHLBank San Francisco member financial institutions and nonprofit organizations working to expand economic opportunity in low- to moderate-income communities. Since launching the program in 2004, the Bank has awarded more than $50 million to more than 1,000 community development projects throughout its three-state district.
“AHEAD grants support local organizations that provide job training, support small businesses, and open pathways to economic opportunity — work that can change lives and strengthen communities,” said Tom Dapice, senior vice president and community investment officer of FHLBank San Francisco. “We are proud to partner with our members to support innovative economic development initiatives that have a lasting local impact.”
