The County of Santa Clara is expanding its Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) pilot program to reach additional vulnerable populations according to the Office of the County Executive.

Board President Susan Ellenberg expressed her pride in being part of a trailblazing county, stating, “Santa Clara County was one of the first in the nation to pilot guaranteed basic income” and further emphasized the importance of GBI in shifting societal perspectives by "countering the myth that poverty is a moral failing of individuals versus the result of systemic failures" via a SCC press release.

Santa Clara's GBI program seeks to expand its reach to four distinct target populations: a second cohort of former foster youth, young mothers, justice-involved individuals, and unhoused high school seniors. Included in the pilot expansion are rigorous research and evaluation components designed to test the potential effectiveness of GBI interventions for these groups, employing a monthly stipend of $1,200 for two years along with access to ancillary services, such as housing stability and financial independence.

The timeline for each GBI pilot program's rollout is currently set as follows: former foster youth in summer 2023, young mothers in spring 2024, justice-involved individuals in summer 2024, and unhoused high school seniors in summer 2025.

Melanie Jimenez Perez, who manages the County program, noted the essential role that community stakeholders play in helping to design the expansion initiatives, stating, "Stakeholder input will help us solidify a justice-involved program and evaluation design grounded in how to best serve justice-involved individuals, with input from the individuals we aim to serve."