West Hollywood Pilot for Guaranteed Income

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED!

About the Program

The West Hollywood Pilot for Guaranteed Income (WHPGI) provides cash-based assistance to low-income West Hollywood residents, age 50+. Goals of WHPGI include securing and achieving housing stability, housing retention, poverty reduction, and an improvement of social isolation.

Empowering Older Adults

18 months of unconditional income

$1000 in monthly cash assistance

A Partnership Between

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How It Works

WHPGI will provide 25 randomly selected, older adults with $1,000/month of unconditional supplemental income for 18 months.

To be eligible for the WHPGI program, you must meet all the following requirements:

50 or older as of August 1st, 2022
Currently reside within the boundaries of the City of West Hollywood, CA
Have an annual household income equal to, or less than, Very Low Income (50% Area Median Income) for the metropolitan area of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Glendale as determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (see table below)

Why is this pilot directed towards older community members?

The City’s pilot aims to test guaranteed income as a means to prevent homelessness, support community members to age in place, and to reduce the stressors of poverty and financial insecurity. The City of West Hollywood is focusing on older adults living on a low income because California’s Master Plan for Aging highlights the challenges facing older adults including poverty and homelessness.

Approximately 20 percent of all people 65 and over in California live in poverty and a particularly alarming trend is that residents over age 50 are now the fastest growing population of homeless people in many parts of the state. The City of West Hollywood’s local data amplifies California’s findings. The 2019 West Hollywood Community Study identified the financial vulnerability of older adults and community members living on fixed, low incomes. According to Community Study data, residents ages 55 and older make up 23% of the City’s population, but 44% of the residents living in poverty. Overall, 22% of the City’s residents live on a fixed income, 14% live below the Federal Poverty level, and 27% of households have incomes of up to 200% the Federal Poverty Level.

What are the goals of WHPGI?

To determine the effectiveness of guaranteed income on participants’ economic security, housing stability, physical health, and mental health.
To contribute data to the Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR) and the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) to help determine the collective impact of guaranteed income on older adult populations.
To provide qualitative information that provides a greater understanding of the specific income instability challenges older adult community members face in order to help apprise the creation of evidence-based policies and programs that improve the health and well-being of older adults.
To test the concept of guaranteed income to be able to evaluate whether the City of West Hollywood should create a new pilot that expands the number of older adult participants or should develop a new pilot for a different target population.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is guaranteed income?

What income do I need to have to qualify?

Your household must earn (your annual income) below 50% of Metro Area Median Income. The Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Income Limits Summary is what we will use to verify if you are eligible to join WHPGI.

Select the chart for a fullscreen view.

For Example:
1 individual must make less than $41,400 a year to qualify.
2 persons must make less than $47,300 a year to qualify.
4 persons must make less than $59,100 a year to qualify.

Do I have to pay the money back? Are there any restrictions or requirements for how I spend my cash assistance?

Do I live in West Hollywood?

How will guaranteed income impact my benefits?

Pilot participants will be provided a benefits counseling session from APLA Health as part of the program onboarding process. The session will help participants understand the impact of the cash payments on their eligibility for other benefits they may already receive, and enable participants to make an informed decision about pilot participation.
There are various public benefits, and the eligibility/maintenance rules for many of them are complex. Currently, there are no federal pilot waivers that exclude guaranteed income payments from being considered for SSI/SSDI eligibility or income limits; there are also restrictions/limitations on pilot waivers for certain state benefits.
Before relinquishing any public benefits in order to join the WHPGI, prospective participants should take into consideration the following: is the monthly amount of the pre-existing benefit substantial? Is it difficult to re-apply for the benefit? And is the benefit unlikely to be reinstated after the pilot's completion?

What do I need to complete the application?

What happens once I apply?

We will contact you to verify your eligibility using the following:

A government-issued identification card.
Verification of residency such as a utility bill in your name at your WeHo address. For unhoused residents please be prepared to submit a Self-Attestation Form.
Income verification. This could include: two paycheck stubs or two months of bank statements or income tax returns or a combination of these documents. Other documentation may be used for eligibility, depending on the circumstance.

Once we confirm your eligibility for WHPGI, you will be included in the applicant pool which will be submitted to the Center for Guaranteed Income Research for random selection. NCJW|LA will contact you using the email address and phone number you provide on your application.

All applicants will be notified of their selection status by the beginning of July 2022.

What happens if I am selected?

If you are selected, you will receive a one-on-one training and onboarding to orient you to the program. You will also be able to access benefits counseling to understand how your monthly payments may impact your other benefits.

You will receive a secure debit card that will link to a bank account which will receive monthly direct deposits of your guaranteed income funds. You do not need an existing bank account to receive your money.

Can I apply if I am not a U.S. citizen?

What is the timeline for the program?

June 17, 2022: The application period opens at 9 a.m. and will close on June 26, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. The application is available at www.ncjwla.org/whpgi and assistance completing the application is available by calling (323) 852-8500 ext. 650.

Early July 2022: The Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania will conduct a randomized selection of participants from the applicant pool.

End of July 2022: All selected participants will be notified by NCJW staff; participants will enroll in the pilot.

September 2022: The first monthly cash payment will be distributed.

What is the connection between NCJW|LA and the City of West Hollywood?

This program is the City of West Hollywood’s Pilot for Guaranteed Income in partnership with NCJW|LA and CGIR. The City is funding the administrative costs of the pilot (for the non-profit administrator and the research/evaluation). Funding for the cash disbursement is provided by two external sources: (1) Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative Innovation Measure H funds; and (2) a private donor.

NCJW|LA has historically partnered with West Hollywood to serve community members, and we currently operate other guaranteed income pilots. NCJW|LA's mission is to advance economic justice and equity for working people in Los Angeles.

Questions or Need Help? Contact us here.

Learn More About Guaranteed Income

There are a growing number of guaranteed income pilots that target specific demographics, populations, and geographic locations in response to systemic and institutional barriers which make it difficult to achieve financial mobility. Below are a sampling of national and regional programs.

Help Us Increase Our Reach!

This program was made possible with the assistance of donors like you. Your generous contribution will help us to increase the program reach, allowing us to serve more communities suffering from financial instability within Los Angeles County.

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