Chapin Hall

Chapin Hall Evaluates 2 Guaranteed Income Pilots in California

Findings offer early lessons on the experiences of young people who receive guaranteed income after aging out of extended foster care

Many young people aging out of extended foster care struggle to meet their basic needs. In response, two California counties—Alameda and San Francisco—are testing whether guaranteed income can promote stability during the transition to adulthood.  

Alameda County Social Services Agency’s NET (Nourish, Empower, Trust) Growth Movement provided 67 young people who had aged out of extended foster care with monthly cash payments of $1,000 plus optional supportive services, including case management and financial literacy training, for 24 months. Participants could also earn up to $5,000 in matching funds by accumulating savings, attending financial literacy training, paying off debt, or achieving educational goals. San Francisco Human Services Agency’s Foundations for the Future provided 150 young people who had aged out of extended foster care with monthly cash payments of $1,200 plus optional supportive services, including benefits counseling, financial literacy training, and financial coaching, for 18 months.  

Chapin Hall Senior Research Fellow Dr. Amy Dworsky led evaluations of both pilots.  “Young people in both counties clearly benefited from the monthly cash payments but our findings suggest that these young people will need additional, ongoing supports to become self-sufficient.”   

Midway through the San Francisco pilot, most of the participants were using the guaranteed income to pay for housing, food, utilities, and transportation. It also allowed some participants to deal with unexpected expenses or pursue education or employment goals. Participants also experienced intangible benefits including reduced stress levels, improved relationships, and time to think about the future.   

“I was homeless before I got the money from the program,” one Foundation for the Future participant said. “It’s helped me a lot so far in being able to get myself back into stable housing and back on my feet.” 

Relative to baseline, participants were experiencing fewer economic hardships, were using substances at lower rates, and were more likely to have savings. Sixty-nine percent of the post-enrollment survey respondents reported having at least some savings compared to 46% of the baseline survey respondents. However, some participants still experienced periods of homelessness and many expressed concern about their financial well-being after the pilot ends. For findings related to participants’ experiences at the study’s midway point, click here.  

About half of the Foundations for the Future participants engaged in at least one optional supportive service.  Although this uptake rate was lower than expected, participants who did engage in supportive services found them helpful. For implementation lessons from the evaluation of Foundations for the Future, click here.  

Young people who participated in Alameda County’s pilot reported fewer economic hardships, improved financial well-being, and progress toward education and employment goals while they were receiving guaranteed income. However, some of the gains they had made were not sustained once the monthly payments stopped. Nevertheless, participants were generally faring better after the pilot ended than before it began.

For example, 73% of the participants who completed the first survey had experienced food insecurity during the 6 months before they enrolled in the pilot, but only 27% had experienced food insecurity since they enrolled. By contrast, 44% of the participants who completed the second survey had experienced food insecurity during the 6 months since the pilot ended. This suggests that food insecurity increased after participants stopped receiving guaranteed income but was still lower than it had been before the pilot began.

“I’ve been able to uplift myself through the program and create long-term stability rather than being dependent,” one NET Growth Movement participant said. 

For complete NET Growth Movement findings, click here.  

Chapin Hall Senior Researcher Molly Van Drunen and Project Associate LaShaun Brooks also worked on the evaluation team.