Our ELEVATE Concord pilot program provided cash to 120 randomly selected single parent families with no strings attached. Guaranteed income pilots like ELEVATE Concord provide a floor on which families can build healthy lives, space to set goals and exercise power over their employment, improve their mental health with less income volatility, and an opportunity to save in order to weather unexpected emergencies.
On November 6, 2023, ELEVATE Concord’s participating families received their first payment of $500. These monthly payments continue for a year. Recognizing the high cost of housing in Concord, ELEVATE has also provided participants a one-time gift of $2,500 to help stabilize their housing.
To be eligible for ELEVATE Concord, applicants had to meet the following criteria:
We were grateful for the opportunity to facilitate Concord’s first Guaranteed Income pilot. See below for some of the demographics of our participants and our learnings from the program.
“The very low incomes of our ELEVATE Concord participants provides an insight into the hidden poverty in Concord and the dire need for cash assistance. And, with the high rents here, it’s no wonder that 46% of our families rent a room in someone else's home.”
Julia Quintero, Project Manager, on the demographics of our ELEVATE participants
Dr. Rosa Maria Sternberg, PhD, RN, will evaluate ELEVATE Concord. A long-time partner, Dr. Sternberg has evaluated our Mentes Positivas En Acción program for eight years. A baseline survey was conducted at the onset of ELEVATE and additional surveys will be conducted every three months for the year of cash assistance and then for one year after. Quarterly surveys will cover a range of questions in five categories: Finances, Housing, Employment, Community and Health.
Fifteen volunteers from among program participants will also serve as storytellers. They will share the impact of cash assistance on their lives and will be instrumental in channeling their lived experience for policy change.
ELEVATE Concord is in the News!
Application & Implementation Partners
UpTogether
Cesar Chavez Center/Unity Council
New Hope Church
Family Justice Center
First 5 Center
Funding Partners
City of Concord
Latino Community Foundation
Y&H Soda Foundation
Thought Partners
Community Financial Resources
Guaranteed Income Community of Practice/Economic Security Council
Momentum/Marin Community Foundation
Hope SF
Mayors for Guaranteed Income
Contact Julia Quintero, ELEVATE Project Manager at julia@monumentimpact.org.
You can find more information about Guaranteed Income here and check out other guaranteed income data resources below.
