Council extends research contract with CSULB for Long Beach Pledge guaranteed income evaluation

The Long Beach City Council voted on Sept. 9 to amend and extend its contract with the California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) Research Foundation to continue research and evaluation of the Long Beach Pledge guaranteed income pilot.

City staff described the change as an extension to align CSULB's evaluation with the university's academic calendar so the foundation can deliver preliminary and then more robust combined findings from two participant cohorts. Courtney Chatterson of the Economic Development & Opportunity Department gave the staff presentation and said the city expects a preliminary report by the end of the fiscal year on the second cohort and a fuller report next year that will combine results from both cohorts.

The council took the item off the consent calendar for discussion and then adopted the recommendation to execute all documents necessary to amend the contract. No dollar amount amendment was stated in the public presentation recorded in the transcript; the motion carried as part of the consent discussion.

Speakers during the earlier consent public comment included residents who voiced support for the guaranteed basic income program and urged continuation of the pilot.

What the council directed: staff was authorized to execute contract amendments and related documents with CSULB Research Foundation to extend and align the research timetable. City staff will receive deliverables from the university as they become available and will provide council with the required reports.