Receive presentation of the Yolo County Basic Income (YOBI) project. (No general fund impact) (Sullivan) (Est. time: 10 min)

Receive presentation of the Yolo County Basic Income (YOBI) project.

With bold leadership, Yolo County elected officials and Yolo County Health and Human Services (HHS) staff launched the Yolo Basic Income (YOBI) program, which ran from 2022-2024 as one of the first 100 Guaranteed Income pilots nationwide (ESP, 2022). The goal of YOBI was to improve housing stability and child and caregiver health and well-being as the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic added financial and emotional stress–particularly for the most vulnerable community members.

The very act of creating YOBI helped spur a shift in state-level policies. Ultimately, YOBI joined 27 other pilots in California–making the state home to the plurality of guaranteed income pilots. In response, California passed Assembly Bill (AB 120) in 2023 to streamline benefits. 

At launch, all families in the Housing Support Program (HSP) receiving benefits through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program and had at least one child under the age of six qualified to enroll in YOBI. In total, the program served 243 individuals: 96 adults and 147 children–boosting families above the California Poverty Measure for two years with an average monthly stipend of $1,289.
 

Program evaluation through the University of California, Davis (UCD) Center for Regional Change found that YOBI significantly improved housing stability. From baseline to midpoint, YOBI families saw a 54% increase in renting or owning their home. Consistent with evaluations of other California-based programs, YOBI participants reported that their lives felt more stable. While surveys did not show statistically significant improvements in health and well-being for caregivers and children, participant interviews demonstrated the many pathways through which YOBI improved daily life and long-term outlooks.

Though the program added logistical work for the 23 HHSA staff involved in implementation, staff interviews show that YOBI improved staff morale and job satisfaction–adding an additional tool for helping families find a way out of poverty.

Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency collaborated with the University of California, Davis Center for Regional Change and the Yolo County Children’s Alliance.