Guaranteed Income Works: Data from Alameda
Rise Up Alameda
Rise Up Alameda is a guaranteed income pilot project launched by Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, providing 150 residents with an unconditional cash payment of $1,000 per month over the course of 24 months. Qualified recipients must be Alameda residents, age 18 years and older, in households with annual incomes no greater than 50 percent of the City’s Area Median Income (AMI) based on household size (e.g. $51,800 for a family of one, based on 2023 AMI). The primary goal of Rise Up Alameda is to reduce economic instability for program participants, using funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The City of Alameda partnered with Abt Global to design a rigorous evaluation of Rise Up Alameda, including a control group of 180 randomly-selected applicants. Analyzing data from the first year of the program, the interim report finds that Rise Up Alameda participants are doing better than people in the control group across several key evaluation markers. Researchers found improvements amongst the recipient group in financial well-being, mental health and sense of community, and no negative effect on employment.
Key Takeaways
-
Rise Up recipients showed improvements in their financial stability and resilience. They were more likely than the control group to be able to handle a $400 emergency, and were nearly twice as likely to have $500 or more saved. Only 15% of recipients said they were going into debt, compared to 42% of the control group. Rise Up participants were also more likely to have money left over at the end of each month (13%) than the control group (1%).
-
Recipients reported improved mental health across a variety of measures: lower stress, increased hopefulness, an improved sense of mattering, and more community engagement. These differences were statistically significant compared to the control group.
Recipients also reported less chaotic home environments than the control group.
-
Recipients were 10 percentage points more likely to be involved in community activities, including PTAs and parent groups, religious and social clubs, professional associations, and more.
Recipients demonstrated statistically significant improvements in emotional connection, group membership, and fulfillment of needs, and a marginally significant improvement in community influence. This indicates that Rise Up helped people feel more connected to their community.
Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft championed the launch of Rise Up Alameda in September 2023, saying, “our low income families need and deserve solutions to the rising cost of living and the ongoing economic effects of the pandemic. Guaranteed income is a proven antidote to both.” At the midpoint of the pilot, data shows that Rise Up recipients are more financially stable, experiencing improvements in mental health and increased involvement in their community. This confirms the power of guaranteed income to improve financial resilience and give people a better chance to thrive.