Guaranteed Income
Guaranteed income offers a straightforward solution to tackle the systemic inequities driving homelessness and housing instability. As wages continue to fall further behind the rising cost of living, many families run the risk of losing their housing and are forced to make impossible trade-offs every month. Guaranteed income bridges this gap, offering the financial stability needed to meet basic needs and secure long-term housing.
It is more important than ever that state and local leaders choose strategies that help people experiencing financial hardship meet their housing and basic needs with dignity. People are the experts of their own lives and know how to meet their needs, so the best solutions are those that empower families in their efforts and decisions toward achieving stability.
Under a guaranteed income framework, individuals or families receive regular, unconditional payments to help promote financial stability and housing security. Typically ranging from $500 to $1200 a month, this assistance helps individuals meet basic needs like food, transportation, and housing.
Guaranteed income has gained traction nationwide, and here in the Bay Area, many neighboring cities have seen promising results from their programs. In Stockton, the SEED program, piloted by former Mayor Michael Tubbs, found that after two years of receiving $500 a month, participants reported decreased hardship from fluctuations in income, improved mental and physical health outcomes, and greater agency to pursue new employment and educational opportunities.
Before SEED came along, I was paying a lot of bills and didn’t know how I was gonna eat…it’s like being able to breathe.
Laura, SEED Participant
Our Guaranteed Income Programs
Destination: Home is supporting three guaranteed income programs to increase the stability of our most vulnerable community members.
The Silicon Valley Guaranteed Income Project is a 2-year project designed to help participants achieve housing stability as well as greater independence over their lives, finances, and future.
150 Santa Clara County families who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness are receiving $1,000/month in no-strings-attached income for 24 months.
This unconditional income is meant to give families the flexibility to decide how best to meet their needs – and participants have complete freedom to use these payments however they choose. This is one of the few guaranteed income projects to specifically focus on unhoused families.
We are proud to be working with a broad coalition of partners, including: the İSí Se Puede! Collective, the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, Sacred Heart Community Service and the Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing.
Making an Impact
It was very helpful for me, especially in finding an apartment because I would not have been approved for my apartment…to be approved for my apartment complex, I had to make at least [three times] my monthly income. And I wouldn’t have been approved without the guaranteed income.
Silicon Valley Guaranteed Income Project Participant
Additional programs:
Guaranteed Income in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County has fully committed to guaranteed income as a vital part of our strategy to combat housing and financial instability, recognizing it as a transformative solution to ensure the long-term well-being of our residents. There are currently nine active pilots serving over 800 people from populations experiencing and most at risk of homelessness in our community.