Chapin Hall

How Participants Are Faring Midway through San Francisco’s Guaranteed Income Pilot for Young People Who Aged Out of Extended Foster Care

What difference does guaranteed income make in the lives of young people who aged out of extended foster care? Foundations for the Future, San Francisco Human Services Agency’s guaranteed income pilot, provides monthly cash payments of $1,200 plus optional supportive services for 18 months to young people who recently aged out of extended foster care. This research brief presents findings from Chapin Hall’s evaluation of that pilot. It is based on survey and interview data collected from participants about midway through the pilot.   

What We Did

Chapin Hall researchers analyzed survey and interview data collected from participants enrolled in the San Francisco Human Services Agency’s guaranteed income pilot. Survey data were collected from 82 participants approximately nine months after enrollment and compared, when possible, to data collected from participants at baseline. Interview data were collected from six participants who had been enrolled in the pilot for an average of nine months. These data provide insight into how participants were using their guaranteed income and how it was affecting their lives. 

 What We Found 

• Most 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 

• Although some participants said the guaranteed income was helping them to stabilize their housing, other participants reported experiencing homelessness within the past 6 months despite receiving guaranteed income. 

• Relative to baseline, participants were experiencing fewer economic hardships, had increased their savings, and were using substances at lower rates.  However, these differences should be interpreted with caution. 

What It Means

Guaranteed income can play an important role in helping young people who aged out of extended foster care meet basic needs, stabilize their housing, and pursue education or employment goals. Although it also contributed to lower stress levels, many participants expressed concern about their financial well-being after the pilot ends. Together, these findings highlight both the benefits of time-limited guaranteed income and the need for additional supports—at least for some young people—during the transition from extended foster care to independent adulthood.   

For more information about this project, explore this brief on the pilot’s implementation.

Read the brief