Moving from PILOT TO PERMANENCE
Guaranteed income is an important piece of CHV’s holistic web of family supports, giving families unrestricted resources to create the future they envision for themselves. In partnership with UpTogether, CHV enrolled a second cohort in 2024, building on a fifty-family pilot that ran from 2021 to 2023. This program is a commitment to the long-term racial and social equity of our city. And a commitment to ensuring that economic mobility is possible in Boston.
CHV’s Guaranteed Income Program at a glance:
38 Leadership Academy families are enrolled to receive $652.90 in unrestricted payments for 28 months.
Participants focus on up to six financial and personal wellness goals during their time in the Guaranteed Income Program.
Families gather at biannual community convenings focused on topics from financial wellness to housing to networking.
In the first nine months of the program, we have found the following:
The number of participants who reported an ability to add to savings almost doubled (increased by 87 percent) since the entry survey.
Since the program began, more families are able to pay their bills all the time.
The number of families reporting that they are not facing food insecurity has increased.
PARENT ADVISORY BOARD
Program participants continue to play a key role in shaping the program experience and acting as thought partners with CHV. Our Parent Advisory Board contributes to the program through sharing feedback, event planning, reviewing data, and much more. Current Parent Advisory Board members, Alba Huynh, Fabienne Eliacin, Josie Rey, Kaythlenn Merisier, Kimberly Bradshaw, Latoya Sweeney, Meaka Brown, and Olga Marin, lead the way in shaping CHV programs through their insights and experience.
This program was designed with our values in mind. Families deserve the autonomy to make their own choices. Guaranteed income reduces stress, builds agency, and promotes joy. There are great possibilities here.
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Families receiving guaranteed income during the pilot program were more than twice as likely to meet their household needs each month. |
PILOT REPORT:Direct Cash for a better Boston
See the impact when families receive cash with no strings attached.
Program Data & Participant Videos
Local nonprofits put cash to the test
In 2022, CHV’s program was featured by the Boston Globe alongside USES, UpTogether and other organizations moving the direct cash moment forward in Boston.
Read the articleThe extra funds helped us catch up on the gas bill and save an emergency fund for the first time. Maybe the most meaningful part of this is that I no longer need to work two jobs and am able to be home more with my kids.
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Together we can build a stronger, more equal Boston, but it requires urgent action. To learn more and support this program contact our Director of Family Services Sam Zito at szito@campharborview.org. |
