Coalitions can amplify the effects of individual programs by fostering policy change. This section offers examples of LA GICC activities and legislative wins that illustrate how coalitions can drive systemic change more effectively than pilots acting alone.
Partner with Local and State Leaders and Agencies
To strengthen your coalition, connect with local and state government leaders. Their knowledge of governance structures can help identify funding opportunities, build partnerships, and align programs with policy opportunities. Work with state agencies to align policy objectives, such as ensuring cash payments don’t affect benefit eligibility.
LA GICC worked with the LA County Chief Executive Office to integrate lessons from guaranteed income pilots into broader initiatives like the Poverty Alleviation Initiative, ensuring long-term impact and policy relevance.
To advance direct cash policy, coalitions can also establish strong legislative alliances with local and state policymakers. Choose coalition leaders with strong networks in local governing bodies to lead engagement efforts.
LA GICC collaborated with LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and California State Assembly member Corey Jackson to champion efforts to expand guaranteed income initiatives and secure funding. In 2024, Jackson helped secure an additional $5 million from the state for a program for seniors.
Joining umbrella groups like the California Guaranteed Income Community of Practice has helped LA GICC share insights, shape legislation, and strengthen infrastructure for guaranteed income delivery.
To shape legislative priorities for direct cash, you can host convenings for policymakers, experts, and community voices. For example, the LA GICC’s 2024 summit brought together LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, LA County Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport, and former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. They discussed how pilots could inform policy change and build support for proposals like SB-333, which would give monthly cash payments to homeless high school seniors.
Educate Policymakers
Coalitions can use data to educate policymakers on how direct cash assistance can strengthen the safety net. This can involve sharing program results and participant stories, discussing specific outcomes, and avoiding framing cash as a cure-all. Focus on systemic issues and present findings in ways that appeal across ideologies—emphasizing efficiency, outcomes, and individual choice.
Led by the City of Santa Monica, Preserving Our Diversity offered 22 seniors monthly payments, benefits assessments, and case management from 2017 to 2019. Despite a countywide rise in senior homelessness, none of the participants became unhoused. An impact analysis featured these results and ultimately led the city to expand the program to 200 more seniors.
Kaye, a 70-year-old participant, was featured in local media to show how monthly support helped her avoid eviction and food insecurity.
Make the Case for Cash+ Programs
Cash+ programs combine direct cash assistance with another support like employment training or housing vouchers. These programs demonstrate how supplemental cash support could help create more effective safety net programs.
Coalitions are well-positioned to showcase the intersections between innovative guaranteed income and traditional safety net programs because they have access to a wide range of innovative solutions and approaches via their members.
A US Department of Housing and Urban Development report shows that only 61 percent of households successfully use their Housing Choice Vouchers to lease a unit. About 39 percent of vouchers go unused because recipients can’t find housing within program deadlines because of barriers like time-consuming housing inspections, extensive paperwork, and a lack of landlords in opportunity-rich neighborhoods who choose to participate in the program.
The Fund for Guaranteed Income partners with the Long Beach Housing Authority to run the Housing Pledge (PDF). This pilot program aims to improve housing stability and reduce homelessness by providing upfront $900 direct cash payments to individuals and families holding Section 8 housing vouchers.
This approach bypasses traditional housing bureaucracy and supports voucher holders in finding suitable housing options quickly. Evaluation is an essential component of the program, tracking the impacts of the cash+ program.