Her daughter was killed, her son was taken away. This new Yolo program found her a new home

Guaranteed income programs aim to reduce poverty by providing cash to those in need with no strings attached. One of these programs in New York City, The Bridge Project, focuses on helping women of color who are mothers.

A homelessness prevention program in Santa Clara County, run by nonprofit Destination: Home, provides targeted financial assistance, about $6,500 per household, to people at imminent risk of losing their housing. Using a risk-assessment questionnaire to identify eligible participants, the program has grown from a $1 million pilot serving 200 households in 2017 to a $30 million annual program serving 2,500 households today.

Fund a Mom gives 40 single mothers in Jaipur, India, $60 a month with no strings attached. The guaranteed income program helps them cover necessary expenses giving them the breathing room to find paid employment.

The city of Cambridge ran a guaranteed income program to help lift low-income single parents above the poverty line. The program provided 130 parents, who were selected by lottery, with $500 a month — no strings attached.

The Denver Basic Income Project has provided more than $9.4 million in no-strings-attached payments to over 800 people experiencing homelessness. The nonprofit gives participants monthly stipends that they can spend however they see fit. As a result, more participants are finding housing, building financial stability, and finding stable employment.

The Brighton Housing Authority uses a holistic approach to help those experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. The organization provides tutoring to kids, runs a domestic violence program that provides temporary housing, and gives out rent and gas vouchers to those in need.

A universal basic income pilot program in Los Angeles provides monthly payments of $1,000 for a year to those in need who meet specific criteria. More than 48 guaranteed income programs have been started in cities nationwide since 2020, and the L.A. program, which is one of the nation’s largest programs thus far, benefits 3,200 people.

The Student Achievement through Family Engagement program provides Mansfield City School students experiencing homelessness with support, necessary supplies, and even toys and holiday gifts. Their efforts help improve student academic performance.

The New Leaf project ran a controlled trial to test the power of direct cash transfers with people experiencing homelessness. Fifty people were given a one-time cash payment of $7,500, which roughly equaled the sum of government income assistance spread out across the year. The impact was measured over 12 months and found that people in the cash group moved into stable housing faster, spent fewer days homeless, and saved more money. The organization found the lump sum, rather than monthly increments, allowed people to make decisions about how they could move their lives forward aimed at stabilization.

Although San Francisco has two shelters that collectively hold more than 300 beds each, these shelters can divide up families and couples, and can discourage pets and personal belongings. These shelters also do not offer services to help the homeless. The Navigation Center serves the homeless from the encampments in the Mission District and offers a variety of services, comfort, and convenience while many successfully find stable housing placements.