Chapin Hall

Direct Cash Support Research & Policy Collection: Evaluating the Impact of Cash Support on Outcomes for Youth

Can time-limited cash support programs improve outcomes for youth who are experiencing homelessness or youth who have aged out of extended foster care? That question is at the heart of a growing body of work that Chapin Hall has pursued since 2024. This page provides a summary of that work and links to related research reports, policy analysis, and practical tools.  

Making Homelessness Brief and Nonrecurring by Sarah Berger Gonzalez (2024), provides an overview of global evidence around cash with supports and discusses youth experiencing homelessness in that broader context. The report explores key components of a “cash plus” model. The “plus” includes optional supportive services, such as help with job and housing searches and other resources that meet young people’s specific needs. See also Understanding the Cash Plus Model, a one-page info graphic from this report.  

Chapin Hall has also developed a practical toolkit for organizations and jurisdictions that are developing direct cash transfer programs. The toolkit explores the impact of direct cash transfers on Medicaid, student financial aid, food aid, rental assistance and more. This toolkit was informed by collaborative community engagement with youth experts, local jurisdictions, nonprofits, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers through an interactive webinar series.  

Pathways Longitudinal Study 

In 2024, Chapin Hall launched the Pathways Study, the first longitudinal study designed to evaluate whether a cash-plus model—the Trust Youth Initiative (TYI) – increases housing stability and reduces homelessness among young adults (ages 18 to24) experiencing homelessness. We are studying the implementation and impact of TYI in New York City, NY and San Francisco, CA. The following reports have been published to date:  

The Pathways Study & Evaluation of the Trust Youth Initiaive, by Amanda Griffin, Sara Semborski and Sarah Berger Gonzalez, 2024. 

NYC Pathways Study & Trust Youth Initiative Overview, by Amanda M. Griffin and Sarah Berger Gonzalez, 2024. 

Maintaining Long-Term Study Engagement with Young People Experiencing Homelessness, by Rhiannon Jones, Jennifer Herard-Tsiagbey, Rachel Sutton-Heisey, Je’Lia Russell, Sarah Berger Gonzalez and Amanda Griffin, 2024.  

Evaluation of the NYC Trust Youth Initiative, report by Amanda Griffin and Sarah Berger Gonzalez, 2025. 

The San Francisco Pathways Study & Trust Youth Initiative: A cash plus model in San Francisco, by Sara Semborski and Sarah Berger Gonzalez, 2025.  

Through this work, researchers are investigating the benefits of cash support programs as youth navigate the transition to adulthood. We have found that while cash opens the door for young people, supportive services and navigation can help them walk through it. In New York City, for example, 89% of young people agreed or strongly agreed that supportive services helped them navigate their journey and made them feel more prepared for the future.  

San Francisco Guaranteed Income Pilot 

In another cash support program, the San Francisco Human Services Agency is administering a guaranteed income pilot for young people who aged out of extended foster care. Chapin Hall is conducting a local evaluation of the program and has published the following reports: 

Findings from an evaluation of San Francisco’s guaranteed income pilot for young people who aged out of extended foster care: Participant characteristics at enrollment by Amy Dworsky, 2025 

Evaluating San Francisco’s Guaranteed Income Program: Participant Characteristics at Enrollment by Amy Dworsky, 2025. 

Early Implementation Lessons from San Francisco’s Guaranteed Income Pilot by Amy Dworsky, LaShaun Brooks, Molly Van Drunen, 2026. 

Chapin Hall also evaluated a guaranteed income pilot for young people who aged out of extended foster care in Alameda County.  

2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back: Findings from an Evaluation of Alameda County’s Guaranteed Income Pilot by Amy Dworsky and Molly Van Drunen, 2026. 

Cash With Care Pilot at Covenant House

Our newest work is a longitudinal evaluation of the Cash with Care direct cash pilot implemented by Covenant House New York. The first report provides a baseline snapshot of Cash with Care participants at pilot entry. Chapin Hall’s STEP (Supporting Transitions through Engagement with Programs) Study will track how participants’ experiences and outcomes evolve over the course of the study and beyond. 

Baseline Characteristics of Youth in NYC Cash with Care Pilot by Madeline Youngren, Kiljoong Kim, and Sarah Berger Gonzalez, 2026. 

Chapin Hall’s research is contributing to what we know about the benefits of cash supports and highlighting where more evidence is needed. Ultimately, Chapin Hall’s goal is to build the evidence base that leads to preventing youth homelessness and to ensure that when it does occur, it is brief and non-recurring.  

For more information about this work, contact Amy Dworsky, Sarah Berger Gonzalez, or Sara Semborski.