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Evaluation: Yolo Counties two‑year basic income pilot improved housing stability and caregiver well‑being
Summary
UC Davis researchers and Yolo County staff presented preliminary evaluation results showing the Yolo Basic Income (YOB) pilot increased participants’ housing stability, reduced financial stress and produced statistically significant self‑reported improvements in overall life stability for participating families with young children.
Yolo County and UC Davis on Feb. 25 presented interim evaluation results from the two‑year Yolo Basic Income (YOB) pilot, which provided monthly stipends tailored to families on CalWORKs with young children to bring household income at least one dollar above California’s poverty measure.
Dr. Catherine Brinkley of UC Davis summarized the evaluation design and findings. The pilot targeted CalWORKs families with at least one child under age six and included groups that received the stipend, a subgroup receiving both housing support and the stipend, and a comparison group receiving CalWORKs services without the guaranteed monthly payment. Researchers conducted more than 260 long‑form surveys and 37 participant interviews and collected staff surveys to assess implementation effects on staff workload and satisfaction.
Brinkley said the average monthly family stipend was $1,289. The evaluation found a statistically significant 62 percent increase in the share of YOB participants who reported that “overall, my life feels more stable.” Researchers also reported improvements in families’ ability to afford rent or own housing: YOB participants’ self‑reported ability to rent or own rose from 53% to 82%; those in the housing support program who also received YOB rose from 64% to 93%.
Researchers quoted participants describing how the stipend helped cover rent, child care, transportation and basic needs and how two years of reliable income allowed families to qualify for rental housing. Brinkley noted participants also reported anxiety about the program’s end and the risk of returning to prior instability.
Staff from Health and Human Services who implemented the pilot reported positive effects on their ability to help families. Brinkley said some staff reported increased job satisfaction and an expanded toolkit for supporting families; one staff member said the project reduced turnover intentions because staff wanted to see the program’s finish.
County staff and UC Davis researchers emphasized the pilot’s relatively limited scope—76 households with a child under age 5 were included—and positioned the program as a potential model for targeted, scalable supplements tied to existing CalWORKs housing supports. County officials noted the total program cost was about $3.3 million and that approximately 95% of those funds went directly to participants.
Board members asked for the full draft evaluation report and follow‑up technical sessions; researchers said a draft would be provided to supervisors that afternoon and offered to schedule a study session with the research team for board members to review data in detail.
County and UC Davis staff said they will release the full study publicly after a brief review period and encouraged consideration of the program as a potential template for other counties or for state policy discussions.
