Guaranteed Income Pilot Programs
Overview
This policy brief describes how local policymakers can design and implement guaranteed income pilot programs to combat poverty, address income disparities, and improve community health and well-being. It shares examples of jurisdictions that used federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) recovery funds to implement such pilots, describes the potential benefits of guaranteed income on financial security and health, and offers practical recommendations for designing effective and equitable pilot projects.
Key Findings
Thirty-nine cities and counties leveraged ARPA resources to launch guaranteed income pilot programs targeted to populations most impacted by the pandemic and structural inequities that preceded it.
Effective program designs prioritize inclusivity, participant autonomy, and community engagement to maximize impact.
Mitigating the loss of other benefits and ensuring accessible and non-extractive cash disbursement methods are also essential to equitable program design.
Funding sustainability is a ubiquitous challenge; Cook County has committed to continuing the program post-ARPA, and others like Cambridge are seeking funding to continue their programs.c.
Implications for Policy and Practice
Ensuring long-term funding for local guaranteed income programs requires community advocacy to direct local budgets toward cash assistance as well as innovative approaches, including philanthropic partnerships.
Through pilots, local governments can alleviate economic distress, provide evidence for changes needed in the current public benefits system to increase economic security, and build momentum for a permanent federal program. Ultimately, only the federal government has the financial capability to comprehensively reduce poverty via a nationwide guaranteed income program.
Expanding evidence on guaranteed income can build public understanding and support for these programs as a tool for advancing equity and economic security.
Related Evidence
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Published June 1, 2025View Evidence
This report explores public banking as a critical tool for advancing a rights-based economy grounded in racial justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and environmental sustainability. The authors argue that public banks, when governed by democratic principles and equity-centered mandates, can challenge the extractive logic of private finance and help meet collective needs.
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Published June 1, 2025View Evidence
This report argues for the integration of guaranteed income (GI) policies with public banking initiatives to create a more effective and equitable system for cash transfers in the United States. It highlights the limitations of the existing private financial infrastructure in distributing pandemic-era relief funds and proposes public banking as a solution to ensure timely, low-cost, and secure disbursements of guaranteed income payments.
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Published September 24, 2024View Evidence
This case study examines Rise Up Cambridge, a guaranteed income pilot program for low-income families implemented by the City of Cambridge in partnership with Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee and the Cambridge Community Foundation and funded with federal American Rescue Plan Act fiscal recovery funds.
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Published May 1, 2024View Evidence
This report explores public perceptions of guaranteed income programs and identifies key strategies for framing the narrative to build broader support. Drawing on extensive research and public opinion data, it provides insights into effective messaging that resonates across diverse communities and political perspectives.
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Published September 24, 2024View Evidence
This case study examines the Denver Basic Income Project, a pilot initiative supported by the City of Denver using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds that provides direct, unconditional cash payments to unhoused people.
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Published September 24, 2024View Evidence
This case study examines the Multnomah Mother’s Trust, a guaranteed income pilot program funded by Multnomah County’s using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds that provided $500 in monthly direct cash assistance to 100 Black mothers living in Multnomah County, Oregon over a 24-month period from May 2022 through June 2024.
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Published April 5, 2024View Evidence
Researchers at the New School propose a new nationwide direct cash payments program that would automatically kick in when economic indicators point to a recession and phase out when the national unemployment rate begins to decline.