City of Alexandria Shares Report’s Findings on Income Program
Participants shared experiences of improved mental health and work-life balance
ALEXANDRIA, VA-The City of Alexandria has released the key findings of a report on a pilot program designed to provide guaranteed income to help residents with their financial situations. The idea for the pilot began in 2021 when City Council set aside $3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. The program startedin October 2022, and these funds were used to give 170 residents $500 per month for a 24-month period.
The pilot, Alexandria’s Recurring Income for Success and Equity (ARISE), in the first year “showed promising results,” according to an Alexandria eNews bulletin. ARISE is intended to help residents earning at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income, or $64,050 for a family of three, according to a summarized report of the findings.
The lead evaluator from Abt Global, AshLee Smith Playfair, PhD, presented the findings at a recent event attended by residents and city officials. She reported that the study’s participants showed: 1) improved mental well-being, 2) increased financial stability, and 3) empowerment. Additionally, participants shared their hope about the future, their experience of stress reduction, and the enjoyment of an improved work-life balance.
Participant selection involved collaborating with various organizations in the community to ensure that people of various backgrounds were included. Over a 10-day period, 4,149 residents submitted applications. Next, Abt Global selected at random 70 applications. The 70 applicants chosen also received benefits counseling from the Department of Community and Human Services to inform them of potential losses during the pilot such as SSI benefits.
The report put $500 per month in context, saying, “The median household income among participants was less than $22,000 annually, and the average household income was around $24,000. Even adding the full $6,000 a year of ARISE income, participants would still be living in poverty in an expensive city.”
Abt Global relied on qualitative and quantitative (or mixed) methods to determine the effectiveness of the pilot. Limitations of the report include an acknowledgement that it covers just the first year of the pilot. The small analytic sample was also mentioned. “[F]or statistical reasons, the [guaranteed income] would need to have very large impacts through 12 months for us to be able to detect them,” Abt Global wrote.
The city’s ARISE page includes video testimonials from a few residents who discuss how they heard about the pilot and how it helped them. One person, called Ms Johnson in a video, said the money “allowed for some things we probably would have been short for.”
City Council approved $550,000 in additional payments through June as part of the next city budget. Stay up to date about the ARISE pilot by clicking HERE.
