Basic Information
Country
United States
Region
California
Governing level
Municipal
Funding
Budget (local currency)
US$5.40 million
Budget (USD 2022)
$5.40 million
Budget currency
USD
Funding type
Private
Additional funding source
External public
Funding description
Oakland Resilient Families is 100% funded through philanthropic donations and run by a collaboration of local community-based organisations. It began with Mayor Libby Schaaf’s pledge to bring a guaranteed income pilot to Oakland when she joined Mayors for a Guaranteed Income as a founding mayor in the summer of 2020. This collaboration is between the Mayor’s Office, UpTogether and Oakland Thrives - two nonprofits based in Oakland
Budget description
This amount covered the cash transfers for 300 participants for 18 months and a monthly payment of 500 USD, and presumably, other administrative and operational services from the Mayor's office, the nonprofit partners or the cost for the selected independent research partner, the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR)
Timeline
Project start date
01/07/2021
Project start year
2021
Final project release date
01/01/2024
Length of project (days)
914
Project length description
Oakland Resilient Families was launched in 2021 by Mayor Libby Schaaf. 300 participants received a $500 monthly payment in the period of 2 years and a total of $5.4 was invested in the community in the form of cash transfers. The programme took place from July 2021 until June 2023 across two eligible cohorts. The pilot recruitment started in October 2021. From a pool of over 11,000 applicants, 660 participants were randomly selected. Of these, 300 were assigned to the treatment group to receive the monthly cash transfer starting in January 2022, while 360 were placed in the control group. Data collection occurred at five intervals: Baseline, prior to randomization or notification of group assignment (October 2021); 6 months (June 2022); 12 months (December 2022); 18 months (June 2023); and 24 months (January 2024), which was 6 months after the GI ended. Participants were compensated for completing surveys
Experiment start date
01/01/2022
Experiment start year
2021
Experiment end date
30/06/2023
Experiment end year
2023
Number of start dates
1
Length of experiment (days)
545
Participants
Number of treatment groups
1
Sample size (intervention)
300
Sample notes
The study sample included 300 participants in the treatment group, exhibiting comparable demographic characteristics to the control group. The mean age of respondents was 38 years, with households averaging four members and two children. Women predominated, constituting 84% of participants. Ethnically, the majority were non-Hispanic (63%), and the racial composition was primarily African American (46%), followed by White participants (13%), with smaller proportions identifying as Asian or Mixed/Other races. Most participants were single (63%), with fewer being married or in relationships. English was the primary household language (63%), though Spanish, Chinese, and other languages were also represented. Educational attainment was similar across groups: 77% had a high school education or less; Associate’ degrees were held by 8% of the treatment group; Bachelor’s degrees by 4%. Median household incomes were $14,625, with mean income of $16,974. Approximately 7% reported no income at all at baseline. The majority received Supplemental Nutrition ASsistance Program (SNAP), Social Security Income (SSI), or other benefits.
Unit of analysis
Individuals
Control group?
Yes
Control group sample size
360
Control group description
The study sample included 360 participants in the control group, exhibiting comparable demographic characteristics to the treatment group. The mean age of respondents was 38 years, with households averaging four members and two children. Women predominated, constituting 84% of participants. Ethnically, the majority were non-Hispanic (56%), and the racial composition was primarily African American (41%), followed by White participants (14%), with smaller proportions identifying as Asian or Mixed/Other races. Most participants were single (66%), with fewer being married or in relationships. English was the primary household language (57%), though Spanish, Chinese, and other languages were also represented. Educational attainment was similar across groups: 77% had a high school education or less; Associate’ degrees were held by 9% of the control group; Bachelor’s degrees by 3%. Median household incomes were $14,625, with mean income of $16,974. Approximately 7% reported no income at all at baseline. The majority received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Social Security Income (SSI), or other benefits.
Target group description
Cohort 1: Residents in a one square mile area of East Oakland with income below 50% of the Area Median Income and at least one child under 18; and Cohort 2: Oakland households living below 138% of the federal poverty level with at least one child under 18.
Gender target
No
Income target
Yes
Age target (outside working age)
No
Family target
No
Labour market status target
No
Disability target
No
Occupation target
No
Industry target
No
Design and Implementation
Saturation
Dispersed
Legal powers
The majority in both groups received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Social Security Income (SSI), or other benefits
Evaluation
External
Conditionality
Only unconditional treatments
Taper rates
No tapers
Alternative interventions
None