Who We Are

The D.C. Guaranteed Income Coalition is a network of D.C.-based organizations and individuals committed to achieving a permanent guaranteed income program that provides monthly cash payments to residents to ensure that all our District neighbors live above the poverty line and can afford basic necessities. According to the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, 1 13.5% of D.C. residents were living in poverty in 2019. More than 1 in 5 Black residents lived in poverty, compared to 9% of Latinos and 5% of non-Hispanic white residents.

Guaranteed income programs have the proven ability to stabilize households in need, with recipients enabled to decide for themselves how best to serve their own needs. In D.C.’s THRIVE pilot program, participants spent assistance primarily on housing, food, or other needs such as transportation or debt reduction.   2 A study of a pilot program in Stockton, CA found that cash assistance increased full-time employment and improved health among recipients.

Pilot Programs

In addition to the pilot funded through the fiscal 2022 budget, there are several active or upcoming privately-funded pilot programs in D.C., each serving distinct target populations, including:

  • Let’s Go DMV: a 5-year program assisting hospitality workers impacted by COVID-19
  • CashRx: a direct cash assistance program targeting social determinants of health
  • Mother Up: a 3-year program to assist low-income mothers at risk of involvement with the child welfare system
  • My Sister’s Place: an emergency cash transfer program for survivors of domestic violence
  • Steve Thomas Guaranteed Income Program: a program that pairs cash assistance with housing for individuals experiencing homelessness

In a 2018 analysis, the D.C. Budget Office raised several questions for study regarding the structure of guaranteed income in the District, including who would receive the minimum income and how a guaranteed income program would interact with existing social safety net programs. The analysis also noted that at the time more data was needed to understand the economic impact of guaranteed income on family stability,  child well-being, and labor supply. A diversity of pilot programs is crucial to answering these questions and providing direction to ensure a robust and effective guaranteed income program in the District going forward.

As D.C.’s guaranteed income program expands and as additional pilots are added, the Coalition hopes the Council will ensure a transparent and inclusive process for the disbursement of funding, including selection criteria that are competitive and driven by community input.

Benefits Cliff

The benefits cliff refers to the potential for program recipients to lose access to other public benefits due to increased income from the cash assistance provided. The D.C. Guaranteed Income Coalition applauds the council’s recent legislation that allows for the exclusion of cash assistance payments from the calculation of income for certain public benefits.

Following this important step, it is crucial that this benefits protection reaches all who are eligible. The Coalition hopes the Council will continue to be committed to the full implementation of the legislation, including: 1) ensuring that all staff at the relevant agencies are aware of and trained on these issues; and 2) extending the opportunity for benefits counseling to participants in all pilot programs.

Budget Request

Pilot program funding request: $13.5 million over 3 years

  • This would provide funding for 750 people to receive $500 per month for 3 years

In addition, the Coalition requests funding of approximately $6.75 million for a Hold Harmless Fund to support families whose safety net benefits may be reduced or lost because of extra income received.

  1. Noth, Alyssa and Tazra Mitchell, “Before the Pandemic, DC’s Economy was Booming, but COVID-19 is Increasing Hardship,” September 17, 2020. https://www.dcfpi.org/all/before-the-pandemic-dcs-economy-was-booming-but-covid-19-is-increasing-hardship/
  2. Urban Institute, “An Evaluation of THRIVE East of the River,” February 24, 2022. https://greaterdc.urban.org/publication/evaluation-thrive-east-river